Design and Realisation of a Phantom Head for Robotic Neurosurgery Research

Phantoms are essential tools for planning and simulating surgical operations, testing new surgical instruments and training purposes. Current simulators, including human cadavers, animal models and virtual reality systems, are expensive and relatively inaccessible. The aim of this study was to design and realise a low-cost 3D model of a human head to test and evaluate the performance of a new robotic system for paediatric neurosurgery. Starting with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of a patient's head, a phantom was produced by combining nylon 3D printing and the use of agar to mimic skull and soft tissue. In addition, tumor volumes made of vaseline and silicon skin were added to the phantom to allow proper MRI acquisition for surgical navigation. The anatomical details were validated by MRI, after which the phantom was used to test the functionality of the robot. This method is cost-effective and provides a reproducible model suitable for both surgical simulation and training purposes.