New technology allows for sophisticated eye surgery

Currently, many of you may already know about the da Vinci surgical system. It allows the surgeon to sit in front of the 3D monitor and control the robotic arms fitted with surgical instruments. Not only does this system allow for laparoscopic surgery, it also allows surgery to be performed remotely - surgeons and patients can be halfway around the world. Furthermore, researchers at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands have developed a similar system, specifically designed to perform eye surgeries.

Dr. Thijs Meenink has created a programmed robot capable of performing retinal manipulations and lens translation. Eye surgeries require that the surgeon's hands have to operate properly and without tremor - this is difficult to ensure especially for older doctors. The system consists of a set of two 'master' joysticks that have been developed before and two 'slave' robot arms; Shivering will no longer affect surgery. The system will reduce the amount of hand movement: if the surgeon's hand moves a centimeter, immediately, the robotic arm will only move one millimeter. This makes it possible for doctors to perform micro-surgeries that require careful scrutiny.

The devices on this robot arm are also very small - only about half a millimeter, including clamps, scissors, and straws. Surgeons can change these devices in less than a second, which is essential because an eye surgery requires constant tool changes, which can be up to 40 times. Due to the accuracy of the system, these tools can affect the patient's eyes correctly without damaging eye tissue.

Meenik's system also has haptic feedback - feedback on the feel on the handle. This means that the surgeon can feel the resistance when the device touches any tissue almost immediately. It helps the surgeon manipulate easily, no different from performing a direct surgery on the patient. And also, the surgeon can sit anywhere, not always standing next to the patient.

He hoped that the Eindhoven device would be made on the human body for another 5 years. Now, he is looking to commercialize this product.

Reference: Gizmag