Flexible Needle: Advancing Brain Tumor Treatment
In modern tumour treatment, neurosurgeons often utilise a rigid needle to administer medication to affected brain tissue. However, this approach carries a significant risk of damaging healthy tissue, as the straight path of the rigid needle limits the surgeon’s ability to access specific regions of the brain safely. To address this issue, a team led by Prof. Rodriguez y Baena at the London Imperial College has been working on developing a flexible robotic needle for precise and safe navigation into deeper regions of the brain while avoiding sensitive areas. The inspiration for this innovative design comes from the unique mechanism employed by female wood wasps, which use their thin yet strong drill-like stings to lay eggs inside tree wood.
The research project, named STING (Soft Tissue Intervention and Neurosurgical Guide), has resulted in the creation of a prototype comprising four segments interlocked in a puzzle-like manner, with an overall diameter of 2.5 millimetres. To enable the back-and-forth motion of the needle segments, the scientists opted for maxon drives. Dr Secoli, a member of the Mechatronics in Medicine Lab at Imperial College, selected the brushless maxon EC20 flat motor paired with a GP22 planetary gearhead for the application. For precise positioning, an EPOS 24/2 positioning controller is employed. Dr Secoli highlights that easy access to the API (Application Programming Interface) was a crucial factor in choosing maxon products. Additionally, maxon stood out as the sole manufacturer offering the complete range of necessary components for their fast-prototype system, including the motor, gearhead, and controller.
In early 2016, the team secured a substantial grant of 8.3 million euros from the European Union through the Horizon2020 funding scheme. This funding kickstarted a new project named EDEN2020 (Enhanced Delivery Ecosystem for Neurosurgery, www.eden2020.eu), with the objective of establishing a new standard in neurosurgical diagnostics and therapy by the year 2020.