RoboTracker: Collaborative robotic assistant device with electromechanical patient tracking for spinal surgery

Due to the risks of muscle, bone and neural damage in spinal surgical procedures that require pedicle screw fixation, technological improvements have appeared to help surgeons perform the procedures with higher accuracy. Systems based on optical tracking navigation impose a stringent limitation in the workflow of surgeons since a clear line of sight has to be kept between the cameras and the tracked elements. Other solutions are based on mounting a miniature robot on the spine of the patient, which is very invasive and entails some risks. For these reasons, a novel robotic assisted surgery system capable to guide surgical instruments with minimal deviations compensating patient motion is being developed. This paper presents the system and the electromechanical tracking device used to sense patient motion.