Teleoperated tubular continuum robots for transoral surgery – feasibility in a porcine larynx model

Background: Evidence suggests that transoral robot-assisted surgery is becoming increasingly common, yet current systems are incapable of sufficiently reaching the glottis or subglottic areas. This paper presents a teleoperated tubular continuum robot prototype for laryngeal surgery in a feasibility study. Methods: A tubular continuum robot prototype is used to perform basic surgical examination in five ex vivo porcine laryngeal specimens. Standard imaging and tooling were integrated and evaluated to improve the system for future application in humans. Results: Access to and application of the tubular continuum robot in the porcine larynx is feasible. Visualization of and accessibility to all structures of interest were successfully achieved, and minor surgical procedures such as biopsies could be performed. Conclusions: Despite proven feasibility, there is a need for further improvements. A version with dual robot arms would be essential to realize a pre-market prototype for further investigation in a human model.