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Computer-assisted surgery and electrode development

The Computer-Assisted Surgery and Electrode Development Group is an interdisciplinary team of engineers and physicians working together to develop new technologies and methods for surgical rehabilitation of the inner ear. This includes the development of innovative products for minimally invasive cochlear implant surgery and automated electrode insertion, as well as the further development of the cochlear implant electrode array.

Research

Computer Assisted Surgery and Electrode Development (CAS-h)

The Computer Assisted Surgery and Electrode Development (CAS-h) group is an interdisciplinary research group of engineers, physicians and scientists at the Department of Otolaryngology whose common focus is the development of technologies and methods for surgical rehabilitation of the inner ear (cochlea).

This includes research activities that address the design and development of surgical assistance systems to improve surgical techniques - with a particular focus on minimally invasive cochlear implant surgery (minCIS) and automated electrode insertion. Based on preoperative imaging and patient-specific planning, various technologies of image-guided surgical systems, mechatronic assist devices, and microstereotactic frames will be integrated into the surgical workflow to enable a highly precise and less traumatic surgical procedure.

The second research focus is on the improvement of the electrode arrangement of a cochlear implant (CI) including the insertion technique. In this area, our research group covers the entire design and development process. Based on imaging and three-dimensional (3D) modeling of the human inner ear, the following methods are applied: Development of improved electrode designs using CAD software and finite element analysis (FEA); Simulation and optimization of the insertion process; Experimental characterization of electrode arrays by manual and/or automated insertion into artificial cochlear models and/or temporal bone samples. Of particular interest is the functionalization of the electrode array by integrating actuators (e.g., using shape memory materials, fluid mechanical actuators, and tubular manipulators) to customize the shape of the implant to the helical inner ear to improve hearing retention.

Main research topics

Image acquisition

Imaging of the inner ear and lateral skull base
Imaging of cochlear implants after insertion

Image processing and software development

Visualization and processing of medical images
Manual and semi-automatic segmentation
Trajectory planning
Calculation and visualization of bone thickness
Visualization of cochlear anatomy using rotating midmodiolar section planes
Software development with C++, VTK, ITK, Matlab, Mathematica, LabView

3D modeling

Anatomical models of the lateral skull base and surgical approach.
Finite element models of the human inner ear and electrode assembly.
Physical replica of the human inner ear (artificial cochlea model)

Development and evaluation of medical devices

Surgical assist devices for minimally invasive cochlear implantation surgery
Surgical instruments and medical devices such as.
Systems for image guided surgery
Microstereotactic frames (surgical templates)
Manual and automated insertion tools
Drilling tools

CI electrode development

Functionalization (shape memory inlays, fluid mechanical actuators, tubular manipulators,...).
Customization (length, thickness, change of shape,...)
Virtual prototyping using finite element analysis
Simulation and optimization of the individual insertion process

Characterization of CI electrodes

By means of 3D bending test
Determination of the curling behavior
Manual and automated insertion testing in artificial cochlear models.
Samples from the human temporal bone
Study of the insertion forces and their correlation to the insertion velocity Shape and size of the inner ear
Histology and evaluation of insertion trauma