Surgical requirements for the stapedotomy tool: data and safety considerations

Abstract

The stapedotomy procedure involves the formation of a small hole through the compliant stapes footplate in the middle ear. The stapedotomy tool under development brings the benefits of an automated surgical tool to the procedure. It uses a drilling strategy that is able to control the drill penetration through the compliant bone with out prior knowledge of the thickness. Aspects of the tool's design influence the usefulness of the sensory data used to control the drilling process. The method of locating the tool has been seen to have an important effect on the data and to have significant safety implications.