STING: a soft-tissue intervention and neurosurgical guide to access deep brain lesions through curved trajectories

Current trends in surgical intervention favour a minimally invasive approach, in which complex procedures are performed through very small incisions. Specifically, in neurosurgery there is a need for minimally invasive keyhole access, which conflicts with the lack of manoeuvrability of conventional rigid instruments. In an attempt to address this shortcoming, the current state of progress is reported on a soft-tissue intervention and neurosurgical guide (STING) to access deep brain lesions through curved trajectories. The underlying mechanism of motion, based on the reciprocal movement of interlocked probe segments, is biologically inspired and was designed around the unique features of the ovipositor of certain parasitic wasps. Work to date has focused on probe development, low- and high-level control, and trajectory planning. These aspects are described, together with results on each aspect of the work, including biomimetic microtexturing of the probe surface. Progress is very encouraging and demonstrates that forward motion into soft tissue through a reciprocating mechanism is indeed viable and can be achieved through a suitable combination of microtexturing and microfabrication techniques.