Toward Monocular Camera-Guided Retinal Vein Cannulation with an Actively Stabilized Handheld Robot

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Robotics
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Retinal vessel cannulation is a complex microsurgical procedure requiring high precision.
• Current methods often lack the accuracy needed for minimally invasive interventions.
• Robotic assistance and advanced imaging are crucial for improving surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an actively stabilized handheld robot for retinal vessel cannulation.
• To enhance surgical precision using monocular vision-guided surface reconstruction and motion scaling.
• To validate the efficacy of the proposed system in a simulated environment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a monocular camera-based surface reconstruction method with automated laser beam scanning.
• Implemented a coordinate transform from 2D image plane to a global 3D frame.
• Applied motion scaling within a hemispherical region for increased precision.
• Estimated homography matrix using monocular vision for Micron guided vein cannulation.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated higher accuracy of laser surface reconstruction compared to standard stereo reconstruction in a wet eye phantom.
• Showcased increased surgical accuracy attributable to motion scaling.
• Validated the feasibility of the robotic system for precise retinal vessel targeting.

Conclusions:

• The actively stabilized robotic system guided by monocular vision and laser surface reconstruction significantly improves precision in retinal vessel cannulation.
• Motion scaling further enhances surgical accuracy, offering a promising advancement for ophthalmic microsurgery.
• This technology has the potential to improve outcomes for retinal interventions requiring precise vessel access.