Design and evaluation of a new bioelectrical impedance sensor for micro-surgery: application to retinal vein cannulation.

Purpose: Nowadays, millions of people suffer from retinal vein occlusion, a blind-making eye disease. No curative treatment currently exists for this vascular disorder. However, a promising treatment consists in injecting a thrombolytic drug directly inside the affected retinal vessel.

Combined OCT distance and FBG force sensing cannulation needle for retinal vein cannulation: in vivo animal validation.

Purpose: Retinal vein cannulation is an experimental procedure during which a clot-dissolving drug is injected into an obstructed retinal vein. However, due to the fragility and minute size of retinal veins, such procedure is considered too risky to perform manually. With the aid of surgical robots, key limiting factors such as: unwanted eye rotations, hand tremor and instrument immobilization can be tackled.

Robot-assisted retinal vein cannulation in an in vivo porcine retinal vein occlusion model.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of robot-assisted retinal vein cannulation for retinal vein occlusion.

Methods: Prospective experimental study performed in in vivo porcine eyes. A standard three port pars plana vitrectomy was followed by laser-induced branch retinal vein occlusion.

Design considerations for a novel MRI compatible manipulator for prostate cryoablation.

Purpose: Prostate carcinoma is a commonly diagnosed cancer in men. Nonsurgical treatment of early stage prostate cancer is an important alternative. The use of MRI for tumor cryoablation is of particular interest: it offers lower morbidity compared with other localized techniques.