A France-based startup is working to develop a rice-sized neurosurgical microrobot.
The firm, called Robeauté, is developing a device that is capable of precisely navigating the brain while also avoiding high-risk areas. The microrobot is being developed with the intention of eventually being used to perform microbiopsies on brain tumors, offering a safer and potentially more precise surgical alternative to traditional rigid tools like needles or electrode holders. These traditional tools tend to operate in straight lines and pose a potential risk to crucial brain functions.
Source: RobeautéOftentimes, traditional approaches limit surgical access, particularly as they avoid areas responsible for motor or cognitive functions. As such, some tumors are considered inoperable because of these limitations.
The team explained that the microrobot is integrated into the brain via a millimeter-wide incision in the skull. Once inserted, the microrobot travels circuitous routes through the vascular network and extracellular matrix of the brain to reach areas that were previously inaccessible. Enabling the microrobot to move is its revolving silicone rings located at the tip, which delicately shift tissue using micro-scale adhesion forces. Meanwhile, the navigation is monitored in real-time using image and ultrasound sensors that are externally mounted on the skull.
The company explained that the neurosurgical microrobot device moves at a controlled pace of 3 millimeters per minute and can retrace its path during extraction. Further, its movement is powered by rotating silicone rings that gently separate brain tissue without inflicting cellular damage, thereby creating a clear path through the delicate structures.
Meanwhile, beneath the motor is a compartment that contains miniature surgical instruments that are operated by an external cable system. The developers noted that for biopsies, a flexible needle and small forceps are used for collecting tissue samples that can either be stored in the device or extracted through the cable.
Another feature of the system is trajectory planning wherein routes are pre-mapped using artificial intelligence (AI) and MRI imaging to direct the microrobot away from sensitive brain regions. The robot’s position can be adjusted in real-time by surgeons using an ultrasound localization system that is mounted on the skull.
During preclinical trials performed on sheep, the system showed no major complications like hematomas.
The “results demonstrate the feasibility of in-vivo brain navigation using a neurosurgical microrobot, potentially opening doors to microinvasive brain biopsies, focalized treatments, and continuous monitoring along more complex trajectories such as 3D curves,” the researchers concluded.
For more on the rice-sized microrobot, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of Robeauté.
