Safety Assessment of a Mechatronic Tool for Stapes Surgery

Abstract Complex mechatronic tools have been developed to assist with precise surgical tool action, as surgeons need to work with increased precision, at the limit of manual capability, in response to advances in medicine. This paper describes an automated stapedotomy micro-drill in preparation for the operating room. Using an automated interpretation scheme, penetration of the critical medial surface of the stapes footplate is avoided by utilising transient features of drilling force sensory data. This paper describes an approach to assess the integrity of the device with respect to safety.