Thermal Risk Management for Minimal Invasive Skull Base Surgery: Development of a Drill System with Integrated Temperature-Control

Introduction Deep drilling at the lateral skull base with a linear drill holds great potential to reduce invasiveness but poses challenges due to the proximity of the drill channel to critical structures, such as the facial nerve, which can be mechanically or thermally damaged. The development of a drill system capable of real-time temperature monitoring and prediction is crucial to minimize the risk of thermal damage and enhance the safety of procedures, like implantation, taking samples or drug delivery.