Infinitely Modifiable.
All-Terrain Robotics.
Extraordinarily Durable.
clamp which can take the next instrument in and clamp it
securely.
Ergonomics Make for
Better Operations
In normal procedures, a surgeon has to look through a
microscope. This means he has to work in a static and non-ergonomic body posture, notes Meenink. “We chose to
implement a display for the visual feedback from the
captured microscope images,” says Meenink. (It is also
possible to use the system with the microscope.) The display
Resources
The University of Technology
www.tue.nl
Thijs Meenink's page
http://w3.wtb.tue.nl/nl/people_pages/?script=showemp.
php&pid=7524&all=1
R. Hendrix, Robotically Assisted Eye Surgery: A Haptic Master
Console, PhD thesis, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, 2011,
ISBN 9789038624426.
H.C.M. Meenink, Vitreo-retinal Eye Surgery Robot: Sustainable
Precision, PhD thesis, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, 2011,
ISBN 9789038628004.
A description of rotary encoders
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_encoder
12 SERVO 02.2012
— like the armrest — reduces fatigue. The HI is also
adjustable to deal with diversity in body dimensions and to
guarantee an ergonomic working method.
The HI itself simulates the movement of the instrument
tip inside the eye. A surgeon would normally have to move
the instrument one way outside the eye for it to move the
other way inside the eye. Now, the surgeon can move the
HI in the same way as if he had the very tip of the
instrument in his hand inside the eye.
There are also positioning concerns for the robot and
the patient. The slave robot must be adjusted to each
patient’s head size. “There are pre-surgical adjustments for
this,” says Meenink. These adjustments are made and then
locked in throughout the surgery. The robot must be
positioned, as well. Because it is designed for vitreo-retinal
eye surgery (surgery to the inner side of the eye, the vitreous
humor and the retina) and because this cavity is only reached
through a certain area of the sclera, the robot must be
positioned to enter the eye there, according to Meenink.
Conclusion
Future plans for the eye surgery robot include
optimizing its performance in accuracy, force feedback
capabilities, and usability. Its creators are testing the robot
to see just what needs optimizing, according to Meenink.
Meenink believes the first use of the Eye-Rhas system on a
human will occur within five years. In the meantime, he is
looking into commercializing the technology. SV
