Robotic solutions improve minimally invasive neurosurgical imaging

Minimally invasive neurosurgical imaging and procedures aim to reduce trauma to patients by relying on real-time image guidance such as MRI, CT, X-ray or ultrasound to guide surgical tools through small access pathways. This approach can cut surgical trauma, lower complication rates and speed recovery compared with conventional open surgery, but it also places exacting demands on the precision and flexibility of surgical instrumentation and image-guided navigation systems in the constrained anatomy of the brain and skull.

Yaskawa Europe, primarily known for industrial robotics, is collaborating with medical technology and academic partners in the €38.4 million SEISMIC research consortium to address these challenges and integrate robotic solutions that support minimally invasive neurosurgical imaging workflows.

Client and technical challenge
The SEISMIC consortium encompasses medical-tech industries, academic research centres and patient organisations working to develop an integrated suite of technologies that combine real-time surgical navigation with live imaging (e.g., ultrasound plus X-ray), realistic simulation for clinician training and minimally invasive biopsy and treatment.

A core technical challenge is designing robotic manipulators that can operate safely around the patient within the imaging environment, accommodating intraoperative imaging equipment while offering the precision and geometry necessary for delicate neurosurgical interventions. Traditional industrial robots are not optimized for such constrained clinical environments, where the robot must avoid collisions with imaging devices and personnel and operate reliably under stringent safety requirements.

Solution: collaborative development of custom robotic manipulators
Yaskawa’s contribution focuses on shaping and developing custom robotic manipulators tailored for neurosurgical imaging support. In collaboration with project partners, Yaskawa engineers are defining technical requirements that reflect the realities of integrated imaging and surgical tasks inside the operating theatre.

A next-generation robotic design is under development featuring high precision and an open, collision-minimising design that enables safer, more flexible positioning around the patient during imaging-guided procedures. Yaskawa’s work also includes pre-clinical evaluation of the complete robotic platform to assess performance, safety and usability. These assessments feed directly into iterative improvements of the manipulators.

Why this approach was selected
The consortium chose to involve Yaskawa for its robotics expertise and engineering capability to translate robust industrial robotics knowledge into a medical context with stringent performance and safety expectations. Yaskawa’s experience with high-precision robotic motion systems allows the development of manipulators suited not just for repeatable industrial tasks, but also for the dynamic requirements of real-time intraoperative imaging and surgical navigation.

Dominik Jezeršek, Manager of Research and Development at Yaskawa Europe, emphasised the firm’s strategic intent: “This project marks an important step for Yaskawa in translating our long-standing robotics expertise into the medical domain… advancing technologies that meet the stringent requirements of healthcare and medical environments.”

Deployment and consortium support
The work is organised within a public-private partnership funded under the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI). The programme receives €23.5 million in public funds complemented by €14.9 million in in-kind and industry resources. The consortium includes major partners such as Philips as well as several university hospitals and research institutions, ensuring a multidisciplinary environment for developing and validating integrated imaging and robotic solutions.

Yaskawa’s role includes iterative design refinement based on pre-clinical robotic platform evaluations, supported by academic and clinical partners. These evaluations are crucial to refining usability and ensuring the robotics components work seamlessly with surgical imaging workflows.

Benefits and outlook
Although the project is ongoing and no definitive performance figures are yet published, the anticipated benefits are clear: robotics integrated with minimally invasive imaging systems could reduce procedure times, minimise surgical trauma and improve patient recovery. By enhancing precision and flexibility in neurosurgical imaging contexts, the solution may expand access to advanced neurosurgical care and support more efficient training environments for clinicians.

This collaboration represents a significant step in applying industrial robotic know-how to complex healthcare challenges, with the potential to influence future generations of image-guided surgical robotics.

www.yaskawa.eu.com