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Meet the computer-automated drill that cuts surgery time down to minutes

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The automated drill accelerates bone removal from 2 hours with a hand drill to 2.5 minutes. [Photo credit: University of Utah]

What do machining auto parts and speeding up cranial surgery have in common? Think a computer-driven drill that can produce fast, safe, clean cuts in complex surgical procedures. Such computer-automated drills, which have long been used in automotive technology, have the potential to speed surgeries by 50% or more.

Researchers from the University of Utah developed the device to replace typical hand drills in cranial surgery, which needs intricate openings that avoid sensitive structures. The development team included Dr. William Couldwell, a neurosurgeon at U of U Health and A. K. Balaji, associate professor in mechanical engineering. The team created both the computer-automated drill and the software that sets the cutting path.

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