Researchers and surgeons at the University of Utah have collaborated to create a highly advanced robotic surgery device that could revolutionize retinal surgery. This robotic device, developed by the John A. Moran Eye Center and the John and Marcia Price College of Engineering, gives surgeons “superhuman hands” by eliminating the margin of error typically associated with operating on the retina — one of the smallest and most delicate parts of the human body.
The robotic device, which can take steps of one thousandth of a millimeter in any direction, is mounted directly to the patient’s head using a helmet to compensate for subtle movements like head tremors. The device also scales down the surgeon’s movements to the much smaller surgical site within the eye, making retinal surgery more precise and safe. The researchers successfully tested the robot using enucleated pig eyes, with plans to advance to human subjects in the future.
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, aims to improve outcomes for patients and support advanced procedures like gene therapies for inherited retinal diseases. The researchers hope that this breakthrough in robotic surgery will pave the way for automation in eye surgery and continue to push the boundaries of what can be achieved in the field.
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