Biometry-based concentric tubes robot for vitreoretinal surgery

Vitreoretinal surgery requires dexterous manoeuvres of tiny surgical tools in the confined cavity of the human eye through incisions made on the sclera. The fulcrum effect stemming from these incisions limits the safely reachable intraocular workspace and may result in scleral stress and collision with the intraocular lens. This paper proposes a concentric tube robot for panretinal interventions without risking scleral or lens damage. The robot is designed based on biometric measurements of the human eye, the required workspace, and the ease of incorporation in the clinical workflow. Our system is suited to 23G vitreoretinal surgery, which does not require post-operative suturing, by comprising sub-millimetre concentric tubes. The proposed design is modular and features a rapid tube-exchange mechanism. To grasp and manipulate tissue, a sub-millimetre flexible gripper is fabricated. Experiments demonstrate the ability to reach peripheral retinal regions with limited motion at the incision point and no risk of lens contact.