In extreme cases of epilepsy, a surgery can be performed to mend future occurrences. These surgeries are very intrusive however. Neurosurgeons need to access the brain through the skull, directly impacting healing time and possibly causing future complications. A team of engineers lead by Eric Barth at Vanderbilt University have developed a new method to perform this surgery. Using an MRI and guided needle, this procedure can be performed without having to cut the skull. The needle itself is designed to go around obstacles with the help of the MRI machine monitoring its progress. Partially, this surgery could be performed with 3D printed plastics making it a very affordable option. The accuracy of the machine is roughly 1.18 milometers, an very precise operation. This method, however, wont be coming to surgery rooms soon because it needs many more months of testing and debugging.
If this is possible and can come into hospital rooms then can a robot theoretically take the place of a surgeon? What does this mean for the future of medicine?
ReplyDeleteI feel that this robot, especially as shown in the image above, can be geared more towards very high-risk operations, in which a computer and robot can be more steady than a surgeon's hand. Yes, that could result in a diminishing number of surgeon opportunities available, but an advancement in operations, for me, is far more important.
DeleteThis is very interesting. Would people trust these robots? There are many people who would much rather have the expertise of a surgeon. What would happen if there was a complication? Would the robot know what to do? Who would the patient and the family blame?
ReplyDeleteThis is just another example of the extensive use of 3D printing. It has become in many different fields that I believe it will be the future of technology.
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