Robotics has the potential to revolutionize the art of medicine. Today at the nation’s elite universities, teams of students are harnessing the emerging science of robotics to create prototype designs that could solve some of today’s most baffling medical problems. Most of these advanced students have grown up building increasingly complex robots in the research and development world of Silicon Valley. This semester, I was recruited to coach one of these project teams as they attempt to advance the frontiers of this revolutionary science.
In these dynamic programs, project coaches first provide a menu of medical conundrums for teams to choose from. I offered a choice of eight, including, “Shoes Are Coffins: Awaken the Dead.” Shoes, especially ones that are hard and stiff, tend to turn feet into hooves. They prevent our toes from fully aiding in walking, running, balance and grip. The challenge here is to design shoes or socks that through robotic design could adapt to different anatomy and terrain. Nuts, right? That’s not the problem my young engineers chose.
My project team chose “Freedom for Snakes: Innovations in the Management of Scoliosis.” The spine is like a snake. It wants to coil and spring. That is why we are all born with natural curves. That is, all of us except those with scoliosis, at times a terribly painful and debilitating condition. If the angles of scoliosis exceed a certain tipping point, progression of the disease is assured. Conventional treatment is medieval. It employs major surgery to tie the snake to a pole. Using one of a number of mechanical systems, the spine is fixed to long rods that hold it straight and in place.
The problem is that although this type of operation prevents progression of disease and usually reduces pain, it is a major surgery which carries the potential for substantial scar tissue. When the spine is fixed to a rod, athletic activity must be modest and low-impact. The other problem is that the part of the spine just above and just below the end of the rods now needs to rotate with activity much more than before because it has to make up for the parts of the spine that are now fixed. This causes them to wear out and may require more surgery.
When posed a series of questions and challenges, the creative thinking of these young engineers has been astounding. What if the rods that are surgically placed to stabilize the spine had some flexibility rather than being perfectly rigid? Better yet, what if the degree of flexibility could be adjusted by, say, a Bluetooth device? Perhaps the rods could give a bit more during moderate physical activity and provide extra support during long sitting periods.
During the most recent team meeting, we discussed the possibility of implanting magnets into the spine that could interact with flexible rods controlled remotely by a computer. This raises the potential for rehabilitation specialists to use the innovative device to exercise the spine during therapy sessions.
There is tremendous potential for robotics to interface with the human body to restore and maintain natural function. My generation grew up watching cyborgs and human-robot hybrids on television as science fiction, but today’s students are designing real robot prototypes to supplement natural human capabilities that rival the stuff of “Star Trek.”
The federal government, in partnership with the private sector, is supporting robotics clubs throughout the country that respond to annual challenges. In these clubs, students learn to weld, program computers, design electronic devices and collaborate effectively. In 2010, the 19th year of competition, more than 2,000 teams of high school science students participated in robotics competitions in the United States, Canada and Israel. More than 2,800 teams are projected to participate in 2014.
These kinds of programs encourage our children to start careers in biotechnology and engineering toward the benefit of many. This is an encouraging sign for the future of science and engineering education in our country. My team of students is hard at work on their final designs. Their prototypes are due in six weeks. I couldn’t be more excited to see the results.
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Ira Zunin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., is medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center and CEO of Global Advisory Services Inc. Please submit your questions to info@manakaiomalama.com.
