Quantitative assessment of manual and robotic microcannulation for eye surgery using new eye model

Background Microcannulation, a surgical procedure for the eye that requires drug injection into a 60–90 µm retinal vein, is difficult to perform manually. Robotic assistance has been proposed; however, its effectiveness in comparison to manual operation has not been quantified. Methods An eye model has been developed to quantify the performance of manual and robotic microcannulation. The eye model, which is implemented with a force sensor and microchannels, also simulates the mechanical constraints of the instrument's movement. Ten subjects performed microcannulation using the model, with and without robotic assistance. Results The results showed that the robotic assistance was useful for motion stability when the drug was injected, whereas its positioning accuracy offered no advantage. Conclusions An eye model was used to quantitatively assess the robotic microcannulation performance in comparison to manual operation. This approach could be valid for a better evaluation of surgical robotic assistance. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.