Adaptable three-pin skull clamp for large animal research

Maxwell Lohss; Jonathan Ho; Nathan Naylor; Stacy Cashman; Roxana Fu; S Tonya Stefko; Leah C Byrne

doi:10.1016/j.ohx.2023.e00472

Adaptable three-pin skull clamp for large animal research

HardwareX. 2023 Aug 29:15:e00472. doi: 10.1016/j.ohx.2023.e00472. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Maxwell Lohss^{1

2}, Jonathan Ho^{3

4}, Nathan Naylor¹, Stacy Cashman⁵, Roxana Fu¹, S Tonya Stefko¹, Leah C Byrne^{1

2

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.
² Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.
³ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.
⁴ Rehab and Neural Engineering Labs, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.
⁵ Division of Laboratory Animal Resources, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.
⁶ Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States.

Abstract

Traditionally, surgical head immobilization for neurobiological research with large animals is achieved using stereotaxic frames. Despite their widespread use, these frames are bulky, expensive, and inflexible, ultimately limiting surgical access and preventing research groups from practicing surgical approaches used to treat humans. Here, we designed a mobile, low-cost, three-pin skull clamp for performing a variety of neurosurgical procedures on non-human primates. Modeled after skull clamps used to operate on humans, our system was designed with added adjustability to secure heads with small or irregular geometries for innovative surgical approaches. The system has six degrees of freedom with skull pins attached to setscrews for independent, fine-tuned depth adjustment. Unlike other conventional skull clamps which require additional mounting fixtures, our system has an integrated tray with mounting bracket for easy use on most operating room tables. Our system has successfully secured primate heads in the supine and lateral position, allowing surgeons to match surgical approaches currently practiced when operating on humans. The system also expands the opportunity for researchers to utilize imaged-guided robotic surgery techniques. Overall, we hope that our system can serve as an adaptable, affordable, and robust surgery platform for any laboratory performing neurobiological research with large animal models.

Keywords: Medical devices; Neurobiology; Skull clamp; Surgery.