6 surgical robots that will surprise you

1. This robot performs retina surgery

[Image from unsplash.com]

University of Oxford ophthalmology professor Robert MacLaren and Nuffield Medical fellow Dr. Thomas Edwards performed eye surgery using a remotely controlled robot, lifting a membrane off the retina at the back right of the eye that was 1/100 mm thick. The surgery was performed on the Rev. Dr. William Beaver.

The Robotic Retinal Dissection Device (R2D2) operates inside the eye through a small hole that is less than 1 mm in diameter. The small hole is needed for R2D2 to enter and exit the eye throughout the entire procedure, regardless if the eye rotates or not.

Acting like a mechanical hand, the robot uses seven independent computer-controlled motors to make precise movements within a 1/1,000 mm scale.

The eye surgeon uses a joystick and touchscreen to control the robot and can monitor its progress through an operating microscope.