Optic Nerve Sheath Fenestration With a Multi-Arm Continuum Robot
Zisos Mitros, Seyedmohammadhadi Sadati, Carlo Seneci, Edward Bloch, Konrad Leibrandt, Mohsen Khadem, Lyndon Da Cruz, Christos Bergeles
Abstract
This article presents a medical robotic system for deep orbital interventions, with a focus on Optic Nerve Sheath Fenestration (ONSF). ONSF is a currently invasive ophthalmic surgical approach that can reduce potentially blinding elevated hydrostatic intracranial pressure on the optic disc via an incision on the optic nerve. The prototype is a multi-arm system capable of dexterous manipulation and visualization of the optic nerve area, allowing for a minimally invasive approach. Each arm is an independently controlled concentric tube robot collimated by a bespoke guide that is secured on the eye sclera via sutures. In this article, we consider the robot's end-effector design in order to reach/navigate the optic nerve according to the clinical requirements of ONSF. A prototype of the robot was engineered, and its ability to penetrate the optic nerve was analysed by conducting <i>ex vivo</i> experiments on porcine optic nerves and comparing their stiffness to human ones. The robot was successfully deployed in a custom-made realistic eye phantom. Our simulation studies and experimental results demonstrate that the robot can successfully navigate to the operation site and carry out the intervention.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{ral2020_opticnervesheath,
title = {Optic Nerve Sheath Fenestration With a Multi-Arm Continuum Robot},
author = {Zisos Mitros and Seyedmohammadhadi Sadati and Carlo Seneci and Edward Bloch and Konrad Leibrandt and Mohsen Khadem and Lyndon Da Cruz and Christos Bergeles},
booktitle = {RA-L 2020},
year = {2020}
}