Robotic Cleft Palate Surgery and Simulation

Cleft palate surgery is technically challenging to perform. There is delicate tissue handling required within the confines of the infant oral cavity workspace. A surgical robot provides improved visualization, access, and precision. Therefore, cleft palate surgery is a suitable environment for robotic application. A highly realistic cleft palate simulator was developed for testing existing and newly developed robotic systems to determine feasibility and efficacy of robotic cleft palate surgery. The cleft palate simulator has been validated as a realistic simulation environment as well as an effective and valuable training tool. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have determined that robotic cleft palate surgery is feasible and offers specific advantages such as improved visualization, access, precision, and ergonomics. However, existing robotic systems require design optimization for the unique requirements of performing cleft palate surgery within the confines of the infant oral cavity workspace. A newly developed robotic instrument that couples to the da Vinci surgical system has been developed that is more readily miniaturized and provides more compact articulation within the infant oral cavity workspace compared to existing robotic instruments. As smaller and more capable robotic surgical systems become available in the future, robotic cleft palate surgery may evolve to provide a more precise repair that ultimately may lead to improved patient outcomes.