Swiss specialists from the University of Bern and the Center for Electronics and Microtechnology CSEM are developing a new sensor technology that can bring complex surgical operations on the spine to a new level of safety. The operation of manual stabilization of the spine, during which the affected vertebrae is secured by special grafts - flaps on the foot - is becoming more common due to the general aging of the population and the growth of spinal diseases. However, this procedure ends in failure in 15% of cases because of its complexity - the screws do not get into the central part of the vertebra or their tips protrude outward, touching adjacent tissues and nerves. A new robotic drill, equipped with sensors, is capable of "probing" the three-dimensional landscape of the vertebrae and, in combination with electromyographic research, allows avoiding wrong hits, be it nerves or the edges of bones, according to Engineer. High-speed sensors determine the thickness of bones and the presence of nerves, check this information with pre-operation images and give surgeons the ability to accurately position the shreds on the foot.

For the first time, neurosurgeons have the opportunity to receive real-time data about where to send drills. The surgical robot acts with extreme accuracy and copes with the task much faster than the person, which allows to avoid damages and complications, and also to reduce to zero the percentage of unsuccessful operations. "We believe this is the future of spinal surgery," said Andreas Raabe, one of the project leaders.

Original article: The robot will help to avoid errors in operations on the spinal column.