Background: Spine-milling operation during laminectomy surgery requires steady manipulation and intraoperative monitoring. A spinal milling robot with force-based control is introduced to improve the operation safety.
Method: The robot is designed with compact structure and simple configuration. Real-time thrust force is measured and three stages corresponding to the anatomical structures of the vertebra are identified, based on the analysis of typical characteristic parameters of the force profiles. The cross-correlation to the standard profiles are adopted to judge the milling status. A 1 mm margin is prescribed to stop the procedure before the lamina is thoroughly milled through.
Results: Automatic robot-milling experiments on porcine vertebrae are conducted, based on the force-based control method, and the procedure is stopped when the critical condition is met. The average thickness of the milled part is 1.1 mm, and no penetration occurs.
Conclusion: The spinal milling robot could provide steady manipulation, facilitate the surgeon's labour with an automatic feeding process and improve the safety of the operation with enhanced monitoring.
(c) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.