Digital convergence: multi-material phantoms for the validation of surgical micro-robotics

Abstract

As the field of minimally invasive surgery shifts toward the micro-scale, the gap between digital robotic design and clinical validation has become a primary bottleneck. Traditional benchtop testing often relies on simplified synthetic models or inconsistent porcine tissue, neither of which fully captures the nuanced haptic and structural complexities of human anatomy. This keynote explores the frontier of Bio-Digital Convergence, focusing on the development of high-fidelity, 3D-printed multi-material phantoms as a definitive validation platform for surgical micro-robotics.We present a collaborative framework for translating patient-specific imaging data into sophisticated physical models that mimic the heterogeneous mechanical properties of biological tissue. By utilizing advanced multi-material additive manufacturing, we have engineered phantoms that simulate varying physical properties - ranging from rigid bone structures to compliant vascular networks - within a single integrated print. By converging additive manufacturing with robotic engineering, we can create a "digital twin" of the surgical theater, providing a repeatable, ethical, and highly accurate environment for the next generation of precision medicine.