Single fiber optical coherence tomography microsurgical instruments for computer and robot-assisted retinal surgery

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Ophthalmic Surgery
• Medical Instrumentation

Background:

• Microsurgical instruments require high precision for delicate procedures, especially in ophthalmology.
• Integrating real-time imaging capabilities can improve surgical accuracy and safety.
• Current robotic systems offer enhanced control but can be augmented with advanced sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a prototype microsurgical instrument with integrated Common Path Optical Coherence Tomography (CP-OCT).
• To evaluate the instrument's capabilities for precise navigation and targeting in simulated surgical environments.
• To showcase the potential of CP-OCT integrated instruments for freehand or robot-assisted microsurgery.

Main Methods:

• A prototype 25-gauge microsurgical pick was designed, incorporating a 125-micrometer optical fiber.
• The instrument was interfaced with a laboratory-developed Fourier Domain CP-OCT system.
• Three control methods were demonstrated using a robot-assisted system on phantom models: safety constraint enforcement, surface scanning with constant offset, and subsurface target acquisition.

Main Results:

• The prototype microsurgical instrument successfully integrated CP-OCT capabilities.
• Demonstrated control methods included preventing retinal collisions, maintaining constant probe distance during scanning, and accurate subsurface targeting.
• The system showed feasibility for precise instrument manipulation under robotic control.

Conclusions:

• The developed CP-OCT integrated microsurgical instrument represents a new class of tools for enhanced surgical precision.
• Preliminary experimental results validate the instrument's potential for advanced navigation and targeting in microsurgery.
• This technology holds promise for improving outcomes in ophthalmic and other delicate surgical procedures.