Title
Visual servoing of a laser ablation based cochleostomy
Abstract
The aim of this study is a defined, visually based and camera controlled bone removal by a navigated CO2 laser on the promontory of the inner ear. A precise and minimally traumatic opening procedure of the cochlea for the implantation of a cochlear implant electrode (so-called cochleostomy) is intended. Harming the membrane linings of the inner ear can result in damage of remaining organ functions (e.g. complete deafness or vertigo). A precise tissue removal by a laser-based bone ablation system is investigated. Inside the borehole the pulsed laser beam is guided automatically over the bone by using a two mirror galvanometric scanner. The ablation process is controlled by visual servoing. For the detection of the boundary layers of the inner ear the ablation area is monitored by a color camera. The acquired pictures are analyzed by image processing. The results of this analysis are used to control the process of laser ablation. This publication describes the complete system including image processing algorithms and the concept for the resulting distribution of single laser pulses. The system has been tested on human cochleae in ex-vivo studies. Further developments could lead to safe intraoperative openings of the cochlea by a robot based surgical laser instrument.
Year
DOI
Venue
2008
10.1117/12.770863
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY OF PHOTO-OPTICAL INSTRUMENTATION ENGINEERS (SPIE)
Keywords
Field
DocType
image-guided therapy,monitoring and feedback,segmentation and rendering,calibration,localization & tracking technologies,medical robotics
Biomedical engineering,Ablation,Image processing,Laser,Cochlea,Cochlear implant,Visual servoing,Digital image processing,Materials science,Laser ablation
Conference
Volume
ISSN
Citations 
6918
0277-786X
6
PageRank 
References 
Authors
1.04
6
9
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Lüder A. Kahrs1308.52
Jorg Raczkowsky2245.49
martin werner3102.88
felix bernhard knapp461.04
Markus Mehrwald571.47
P. Hering6252.69
Jörg Schipper7108.71
Thomas Klenzner8106.34
Heinz Worn9366.79