At present, otologic surgeons are unable to perform surgical procedures on the inner ear without rendering irreversible injury to cochlear and vestibular function. This limitation fundamentally constrains our ability to understand, diagnose, and treat inner ear disorders such as hearing loss and vertigo. This exploratory research program seeks to develop and test a "proof of concept" real-time cochlear imaging system that will provide navigation for the precise and atraumatic placement of micro-needles into compartments of the inner ear using robotic assistance. The system will consist of a robotic end-effector combining a 70 MHz focused-beam ultrasonic transducer with a 110 micron diameter micro-needle. The end-effector will be actuated in two degrees-of-freedom and mounted on a robotic arm to acquire both 2-D planar and 3-D volumetric ultrasonic images, and to insert and retract the micro-needle. Intellectual Merit: The proposed robotic device will be the first system capable of (a) performing real-time ultrasonic imaging of the cochlea and (b) employing these images for image-guided needle placement into the compartments of the cochlea. The proposed system will enable in vivo otologic research presently considered impossible. The proposed SGER will enable us to do the basic research necessary to develop a working real-time robotic image guided intervention system. Broader Impact: The ability to perform real-time in vivo imaging of the intracochlear membranes and to place precisely tools and sensors within the cochlea with minimal trauma would open new avenues for the diagnosis and treatment of inner ear disorders. The intracochlear placement of sensors for example, would allow real-time spectrographic assessment of metabolic changes inside the cochlea, enabling new lines of research into cochlear pathophysiology. In the future, the placement of needles within the inner ear would permit the direct delivery of therapeutic compounds to treat cochlear disease, including medications, gene therapy vectors and stem cell therapy
