In this paper, an endoscope manipulator for transnasal neurosurgery, which is open MR-compatible, and MRcompatibility tests of the first prototype are reported. This manipulator holds and manipulates an endoscope inside MR gantry, to provide the surgeon (s) with real images of the section corresponding to MR image. To avoid mutual malfunction, the prototype was mainly embeded with non-magnetic materials and actuators, like titanium, MC-nylon, ceramic bearing, ultrasonic motors and so on. However, the MR-incompatible materials were allowed to be used according to the distance from imaging area, because they are advantageous in terms of stiffness and cost. Although magnetic materials were used, MR-compatibility tests resulted that the prototype worked regularly, and that the effects on MRI were negligible as long as actuators were inactive while MR-scanning.
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