A manipulator with flexible drilling unit for hematopoietic stem cell harvesting

We present the development of an innovative device (Stem Cell Harvesting Manipulator) to get hematopoietic stem cells for bone marrow transplantation. By using this manipulator, stem cells are harvested from iliac bone of the donor within minimal puncture. In this paper, we report the development of a prototype of the Stem Cell Harvesting Manipulator with Flexible Drilling Unit. The manipulator is inserted into the medullary space from the iliac crest and aspirates the bone marrow while an end-mill on the tip of the Flexible Drilling Unit drills through cancellous bone to create a curved path. We found that the manipulator can be inserted into the medullary space of the pig iliac bone 131 mm by 32.1 mm/sec and harvests a phantom of bone marrow about 6 times as much in mass as the conventional Aspiration Method. Further consideration regarding whether or not this device can harvest viable hematopoietic stem cells should be considered through experiments using laboratory animals.