Background: An arm supported robotic drill has been recently demonstrated for preparing cochleostomies in a pilot research clinical trial. In this paper, a hand-guided robotic drill is presented and tested on human cadaver trials. Methods: The innovative smart tactile approach can automatically detect drilling mediums and decided when to stop drilling to prevent penetrating the endosteum. The smart sensing scheme has been implemented in a concept of a hand guided robotic drill. Results: Experiments were carried out on two adult cadaveric human bodies for verifying the drilling process and successfully finished cochleostomy on three cochlea. The advantage over a system supported by a mechanical arm includes the flexibility in adjusting the trajectory to initiate cutting without slipping. Using the same concept as a conventional drilling device, the user will also be benefit from the lower setup time and cost, and lower training overhead. Conclusion: The hand-guided robotic drill was recently developed for testing on human cadavers. The robotic drill successfully prepared cochleostomies in all three cases.
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