Browse Technologies

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Steerable Needles: A Better Turning Radius with Less Tissue Damage

A team of Vanderbilt engineers and surgeons have developed a new steerable needle that can make needle based biopsy and therapy delivery more accurate. A novel flexure-based tip design provides enhanced steerability while simultaneously minimizing tissue damage. The present device is useful for almost any needle-based procedure including biopsy, thermal ablation, brachytherapy, and drug delivery.


Licensing Contact

Ashok Choudhury

615.322.2503

A Robotic System for Treating Intracranial Hemorrhage (ICH)

Vanderbilt researchers have designed a general purpose system for precise steering of multi-lumen needles. One significant application of the system is decompression of the cranium during hemorrhagic events (ICH).


Licensing Contact

Ashok Choudhury

615.322.2503

Endonasal Surgical Robot for Sinus and Neurosurgery

Vanderbilt engineers have developed a robotic system for performing sinus and neurosurgery through the nose. This provides a less invasive way to access surgical sites in the sinuses and near the middle of the patient's head, leading to faster recovery times. The robot is modular and sterilizable with detachable cartridge-based instruments. Each instrument is a concentric tube robot, which is a needle-sized tool that can bend and elongate. The system delivers four of these instruments through a single nostril.


Licensing Contact

Ashok Choudhury

615.322.2503

Flexible Instrument with Pre-curved Elements for Surgical Tools

Vanderbilt researchers have developed a novel system for allowing surgical instruments to navigate around tighter corners and access difficult-to-reach areas in the body. This system uses pre-curved elastic elements added on to the existing instrument. Current surgical instruments are manufactured in a straight-line configuration, which means they must bend in order to reach around obstructions in surgery. By adding pre-curved sections, some of the bending is already accomplished, allowing the instrument to bend around tighter corners.


Licensing Contact

Ashok Choudhury

615.322.2503

Methods for Quick and Safe Deep Access into Mammalian Anatomy

This technology uses a novel continuum robot that provides a steerable channel to enable safe surgical access to the anatomy of a patient. This robotic device has a wide range of clinical application and is a significant advance from the rigid tools currently used in minimally invasive procedures.


Licensing Contact

Masood Machingal

615.343.3548
Robotics

System and Methods for Contact Detection and Localization in Continuum Robots

This technology expands the capabilities of continuum robots with a system and method that enables them to detect instances of contact and to estimate the position of the contact. This framework allows the motion of the robot to be constrained so as to ensure the robot doesn't damage itself, another robot arm, or surrounding environments. Applications for this technology include enhanced safe telemanipulation for multi-arm continuum robots in surgery, micro-assembly in confined spaces, and exploration in unknown environments.


Licensing Contact

Masood Machingal

615.343.3548

Inexpensive Disposable Hydro-Jet Capsule Robot for Gastric Cancer Screening in Low-Income Countries

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. While screening programs have had a tremendous impact on reducing mortality, the majority of cases occur in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Typically, screening for gastric and esophageal cancer is performed using a flexible endoscope; however, endoscopy resources for these settings are traditionally limited. With the development of an inexpensive, disposable system by Vanderbilt researchers, gastroscopy and colonoscopy can be facilitated in areas hampered by a lack of access to the appropriate means.


Licensing Contact

Masood Machingal

615.343.3548

Mechanism for Efficient Stiffness Modulation of Springs

Vanderbilt researchers have developed a novel variable stiffness spring mechanism that affords low energy cost stiffness adaptation. Essentially, the energy cost of changing the stiffness of the spring is rendered independent of the energy stored in the spring.


Licensing Contact

Ashok Choudhury

615.322.2503
Robotics

Real-Time Feedback for Positioning Electrode Arrays in Cochlear Implants

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered a method ofmonitoring the placement of electrodes in cochlearimplants (CIs) through the use of electrical impedancemeasurements. This technology offers real-timefeedback on electrode positioning, which can beused to more accurately place electrodes duringinitial implantation, or better program the implantsafter they have been placed. These enhancementscombine to give increased hearing quality to bothnew and existing CI patients.


Licensing Contact

Philip Swaney

615.322.1067

Upper Extremity Assistance Device

An assistive device for individuals with upper extremity neuromuscular deficit has been developed by researchers at Vanderbilt. This device is specifically designed for patients having hemiplegia following stroke, incomplete spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and other disabilities and conditions, who may have severe muscle weakness or inability to fully control an upper limb. In order to facilitate use of the upper limb, the patient can wear the device as a substitute for or a supplement to the patient's volitional movement.


Licensing Contact

Ashok Choudhury

615.322.2503