March 13, 2023
Keio University School of Medicine
Yokohama National University
Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology
Motion Lib, Inc.
A research group from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Keio University School of Medicine, led by Professor Masaya Nakamura, Senior Lecturer Mitsuru Yagi, and Assistant Professor Kento Yamanouchi, has developed a drill for spinal surgery applying Real Haptics technology and demonstrated its effectiveness. This was a joint research project with Research Advisor Kohei Onishi (Project Professor at the Keio Frontier Research & Education Collaborative Square (K-FRECS) at Shin-Kawasaki, Keio University) of the Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, Group Leader Masamichi Shimono (Associate Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University), Medtronic Japan Co., Ltd., and Motion Lib, Inc.
Real Haptics is a technology that reproduces the sensation of touch by digitizing the forces and movements that occur when a person operates a robot to touch a real object and transmitting this data bidirectionally in real time. By digitizing motion and tactile sensations, it becomes possible to implement force and tactile feedback functions in machines, adjust the amount of force applied, and transmit force and tactile feedback over long distances. Not only in the field of medical sciences, but also in various industrial fields, many tasks are performed by human hands, relying on so-called "artisanal skills." The application of Real Haptics is advancing in such tasks that rely heavily on the human sense of touch.
In spinal surgery for orthopedic diseases, a bone drill is used near the spinal cord and vascular system. Due to the nature of this procedure, which involves drilling hard tissue near fragile tissue, it is an extremely difficult operation, and surgeons are required to perform precise work under extreme stress. This research was initiated with the belief that by implementing Real Haptics technology in a bone drill, it would be possible to establish a safer surgical method than conventional ones. We developed a new device (haptic drill) that implements Real Haptics technology in a bone drill, and as a result of verifying its effectiveness in spinal surgery, it was objectively verified that using the haptic drill allows even inexperienced surgeons to perform surgery accurately and safely.
The results of this research were published in Scientific Reports on January 12, 2023 (EST).
Please see below for the full press release.