Microgripper Using Flexible Wire Hinge for Robotic Intraocular Snake

Makoto Jinno,Iulian Iordachita

doi:10.1109/icra46639.2022.9812022

Makoto Jinno, Iulian Iordachita

https://doi.org/10.1109/icra46639.2022.9812022

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A substantially advance skill-set is a prerequisite in the domain of retinal surgery, given that the surgical instruments, constrained by small incisions made on the sclera, should be manipulated in a confined intraocular space. Therefore, robotic technologies with a snake-like architecture may be critical in retinal surgery to overcome this problem. These robots are expected to approach a target on the retina from a suitable direction when accessing its anterior portion for procedures such as vein cannulation or membrane peeling. Typical end-effectors or tools for retinal surgery include needles, light pipes, pipettes, and grippers. However, there are no retinal surgery robots or devices equipped with enough bending and grasping functionalities. We developed an Improved Integrated Robotic Intraocular Snake (I 2 RIS) in previous works. I 2 RIS has a user interface (a tactile switch or joystick unit) to provide maneuverability to the snake-like distal end. This study presents a new microgripper with its drive mechanism and an interface for retinal surgery; this microgripper is implemented into I 2 RIS. The proposed microgripper has a simple mechanism; it comprised only three parts, including a nitinol drive wire that functions as a flexible hinge. The microgripper diameter is 0.9 mm, and the length is 2.6 mm. A real-size prototype model was used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed microgripper. In addition, a pick-and-place task using an eye model was performed by I 2 RIS with the proposed microgripper. It is trusted that the utility of this microgripper can extend beyond retinal surgery into other microsurgical applications.

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