Open AccessMinimizing Cotton Ball Retention in Neurological Procedures
Author(s) -
Raphael Bechtold,
Benjamin Garlow,
Renee Liu,
Arushi Tandon,
Alexandra Szewc,
William Zhu,
Olivia Musmanno,
Noah Gorelick,
Ian Suk,
Judy Huang,
Henry Brem,
Amir Manbachi,
G. Coles
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
pubmed central
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Conference proceedings
DOI - 10.1115/dmd2020-9042
Subject(s) - visibility , computer science , brain function , risk analysis (engineering) , ball (mathematics) , medical care , patient care , variety (cybernetics) , medicine , surgery , artificial intelligence , psychology , neuroscience , mathematics , mathematical analysis , physics , nursing , family medicine , optics
Neurosurgical operations are long and intensive medical procedures, during which the surgeon must constantly have an unobscured view of the brain in order to be able to properly operate, and thus must use a variety of tools to clear obstructions (like blood and fluid) from the operating area. Currently, cotton balls are the most versatile and effective option to accomplish this as they absorb fluids, are soft enough to safely manipulate the brain, act as a barrier between other tools and the brain, and function as a spacer to keep anatomies of the brain open and visible during the operation. While cotton balls allow neurosurgeons to effectively improve visibility of the operating area, they may also be accidentally left in the brain upon completion of the surgery. This can lead to a wide range of post-operative risks including dangerous immune responses, additional medical care or surgical operations, and even death. This project seeks to develop a unique medical device that utilizes ultrasound technology in order to minimize cotton retention after neurosurgical procedures in order to reduce undesired post-operative risks, and maximize visibility.