A novel microsurgery robot mechanism with mechanical motion scalability for intraocular and reconstructive surgery

Abstract

Background Intraocular surgery and reconstructive surgery are challenging microsurgery procedures that require two types of motion: precise motion and larger motion. To effectively perform the requisite motion using a robot, it is necessary to develop a manipulator that can adjust the scale of motion between precise motion and less precise, yet larger motion. Aims In this paper, we propose a novel microsurgery robot using the dual delta structure (DDS) to mechanically scale the motion to seamlessly adjust between precise and larger motion. Materials & Methods The DDS forms a lever mechanism that enables the motion scaling at the end-effector using two delta platforms. Seamless scale adjustment enables the robot to effectively perform various surgical moves. Results A prototype robot system was developed to validate the effectiveness of the DDS. The experiment results in various scale settings validated the scaling mechanism of the DDS. Conclusion Through a graphical simulation and measurement experiment, the robot's precision level and attainable workspace has been confirmed adequate for intraocular and reconstructive surgery.