A new robotic drill that works like ‘Google Maps’

UTTAH, (Daily Mail, London), 1 May 2017 -   A robotic drill could be the future of surgery and could help cut the time of a routine brain operation from two hours - to two-and-a-half minutes.  

Developers believe the computer-driven gadget, which works like ‘Google Maps’, could play a pivotal role in future surgical procedures.  

It can make one type of complex cranial surgery 50 times faster than standard procedures, researchers say.  

They claim the drill produces fast, clean and safe cuts, reducing the time the wound is open and the patient is anaesthetised. This decreases the chances of infection, human error and surgical cost.In complex surgeries, especially cranial ones, surgeons typically use hand drills to make intricate openings, adding hours to a procedure.  

Dr William Couldwell, neurosurgeon at the University of Utah, where the drill is being developed, said existing procedures were slow. He saw a need for a device that could alleviate this burden and make the process more efficient.