Automating Functional Neurosurgical Procedures: From Planning to Programming

7:00 - 8:00 AM Saturday, Jan. 14

Neurosurgical procedures are technically demanding, requiring years of subspecialized training. And despite intensive training and practice, technical errors continue to occur. As robotics and machine learning evolve, some routine tasks performed by neurosurgeons can be automated. Automation has the potential to make procedures safer, quicker, and more widely available by reducing the barrier to entry for surgeons. This session will investigate several ways in which automation is being explored in the pursuit of refining neurosurgical procedures.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

Identify elements that an automated trajectory planning tool would need to consider.
Describe methods available for automated DBS programming.
Summarize scenarios in which robotics are available for neurosurgical procedures.