Traditionally, the success of a minimally-invasive surgical (MIS) procedure is dependent on the clinician’s capabilities. Prominent MIS procedures include vascular surgeries, during which catheters are inserted into the body, steered to a target location, and used to treat a vascular disease. A particular challenge in vascular surgeries is the accurate positioning of the catheter tip. Researcher Christoff Heunis of the University of Twente came with a solution. He designed the ARMM system, a robotic surgical platform that steers surgical catheters through externally-generated electromagnetic fields. Heunis envisions it to be a safe and precise alternative to manual steering and hope to provide surgeons with the dexterity required to complete an intervention faster. Today Heunis will defend his Ph.D. work on this topic.
