Maxilaris

Development and validation of a registration system for robotic surgery

Financed by:

File number: RTC-2015-3871-1

Program: Retos Colaboración 2015

Partners

• DMP

• Vicomtech

• Ceit-IK4

Summary

The MAXILARIS project aims to develop a set of technologies that will make robotic interventions in maxillofacial surgery possible for the reconstruction of the lower jaw that enables daily routine activities such as chewing or talking.

The target patients of this solution are people with serious accidents who have lost a large part of the lower jaw, both in the area of ​​the condyle (joint), in the maxillary angle or on the chin. Patients with tumors in the maxilla or in the neighboring tissues that have had to remove part of the bone structure will also benefit from these interventions.

The current technique allows for gross reconstructions based on standard plates that are conformed by hand during the intervention and that allow some functions of the maxilla and, in addition, aesthetics is not a priority, even if it affects a hallmark such as the person's face.

MAXILARIS proposes to develop custom prostheses on the healthy bone structure of the patient with CAD / CAM technologies from the data obtained in a simple CT scan. Currently, this technology is underdeveloped, despite its enormous potential, so the consortium intends to develop a system that automates the most manual and repetitive processes. In this way, it is hoped to have a robust and competitive manufacturing system for personalized prostheses with high added value.

However, its implantation on the maxilla can be very complex because veins, main arteries and critical nerves are found in the area, which, if damaged, would lead to fatal consequences. For this reason, MAXILARIS proposes its implantation with a collaborative robotic system that guides the surgeon and helps him to position the prosthesis in the right place, at the same time as it indicates how to place the screws that will fix it without interfering with delicate tissues and organs.

For this to be possible, a browser must be developed that, like a GPS, would locate the surgeon's tools and prosthesis and position them in a suitable location relative to the patient's anatomy. In this way, the circle would be closed and the prosthesis would be lodged in its place, guaranteeing a symmetrical result.

The technological key to the project lies in the connection between the robotic system and the navigation system that will occur thanks to the registration system. This becomes more important in cases where the condyle is affected because references to the skull are lost.

For the development of these technologies, the MAXILARIS project has the DMP company and the Ceit and VICOMTECH research centers and the subcontracting of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra and EIS, engineering of the DMP industrial group. All have previously collaborated and have experience in developing technological solutions for the medical sector.

Ceit's role in the project

Continuation of the developments begun in the ELCANO project: strengthening and improving the movement strategies of the robot that now incorporates a probe robot to know where the patient is.