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Towards Motion Compensation in Autonomous Robotic Subretinal Injections
Demir Arikan1,2, Mojtaba Esfandiari2, Peiyao Zhang2
1D. Arikan, M. Sommersperger, S. Dehghani, M. Ali Nasseri are with Department of Computer Science, Technische Universität München, Munich 85748 Germany.
Summary
Robotic subretinal injections for wet age-related macular degeneration show promise but face challenges. Real-time OCT motion compensation needs improvement for precise tool-to-retina distance and accurate needle placement.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Robotics
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Exudative (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a primary cause of vision loss in elderly individuals.
- Current treatments like intravitreal injections are standard, but novel therapies require enhanced precision.
- Emerging treatments including stem cells, gene therapy, and RPE cells necessitate accurate subretinal delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel motion compensation method for robotic subretinal injections.
- To utilize real-time Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) for dynamic retinal tracking.
- To address the precision requirements for advanced ophthalmic procedures.
Main Methods:
- Developed a robotic system for subretinal injections.
- Implemented real-time Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) using B5-scans for Z-axis motion compensation.
- Conducted validation experiments on ex vivo porcine eyes.
Main Results:
- Observed deviations in tool-to-retina distance up to 200 μm for 100 μm motions and 80 μm for 25 μm motions over one minute.
- Identified challenges with phase shifts causing needle misplacement during subretinal injections.
- Highlighted difficulties in maintaining consistent tool-tissue proximity.
Conclusions:
- Real-time OCT motion compensation shows potential for robotic subretinal injections.
- Significant challenges remain in achieving consistent tool-to-retina distance and horizontal stability.
- Further advancements in motion prediction and stabilization are crucial for enhancing accuracy and safety in robotic ophthalmic surgery.
