Robot may assist brain surgery

17 Jun 2002

A simple robot that can "learn" the physical characteristics of the brain soon may give surgeons finer control of surgical instruments during delicate brain operations.

In a new procedure being developed at NASA's Ames Research Center, a robotic probe will "learn" the brain's characteristics by using neural net software, which is the same type of software technology that helps focus camcorders. The probe, equipped with a tiny pressure sensor, will enter the brain, gently locating the edges of tumors while preventing damage to critical arteries.

"Potentially, the robot will be able to 'feel' brain structures better than any human surgeon, making slow, very precise movements during an operation," said principal investigator Dr. Robert W. Mah of the NeuroEngineering Group at Ames. Brain tumors typically have a different density than normal brain tissue. This difference allows neurosurgeons to find the tumor's edge through experience.