MRI-compatible robot for intracerebral hemorrhage evacuation: sheep brain phantom study

摘要

An MRI-Compatible robotic aspiration device has been developed with the goal of improving minimally invasive treatment for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Current minimally invasive approaches have demonstrated promising clinical outcomes in preliminary trials when compared to conservative treatment or surgery. However, these approaches do not allow for hemorrhage evacuation while monitoring for evacuation progress and brain tissue involvement under MRI. The robotic aspiration device has a concentric tube mechanism which consists of a straight outer tube and an elastic inner aspiration cannula to allow for access to hematomas when deployed. We started evaluating the robot in MRI-guided human brain phantom studies. As a next step, we assessed the workflow of the robot system in an MRI-guided sheep brain phantom study. The phantom was created using <i>Humimic Medical</i> gel that was melted and poured into a 3D-printed sheep brain model. The gel was left to solidify, and a cavity was created for a clot. The measured clot volume prior to evacuation was 9.04mL. The robot was advanced into the clot and aspiration was performed with real-time intraoperative MR imaging. The volume of clot was reduced by 83% and the phantom did not have any unexpected damage when it was physically analyzed after the procedure. Our long-term goal is to develop a safe MRI-compatible minimally invasive robotic procedure for ICH evacuation. We are currently preparing for live sheep animal studies.