Design, Modeling, and Control of Collaborative Robotics for Subretinal Injection and Mechanisms for Micro-Motion

Abstract

Robotic systems have been used for manipulation augmentation over the past three decades. Examples include systems that address physiological limits by offering tremor filtration and motion scaling. Robots for computer-aided surgery have been used to alleviate perception and motor control limitations by enabling milligram force sensing and micro-scale motion in surgical tools. Of the two control frameworks of robotics in surgery, telemanipulation and cooperative (hand-on-hand) control, there is an emphasis on the latter over the past three decades for surgery as well as in manufacturing. The introduction of collaborative robotics to the medical field has led to new surgical techniques (including less invasive access) and to otherwise physiologically impossible surgical procedures in retinal microsurgery. The crux of this proposed research aims to address the limitations of prior art within the two broad areas of microsurgical robots and collaborative control of steerable devices. Specifically, this work aims to explore opportunities for sensory-guided control and adaptive virtual fixtures for retinal microsurgery. We also aim to address the financial challenges associated with high-motion resolution mechanisms via easily manufactured mechanical imaging aids and actuators employing components with minimal manufacturing specification. This dissertation aims to provide contribution to two general categories. First, we explore low-cost considerations for micro-scale motion with mechanisms to improve the image quality of retinal Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images and utilizing Twisted Wire Actuators (TWA) for enabling micro-scale motion in parallel manipulators. The second category explores assistive cooperative robotics on a cooperative robotic system with a variable admittance control scheme informed by B-Mode OCT designed for retinal injections. We believe our contributions to the field of robotic ophthalmic surgery as well as the design, modeling and control of low-cost micro-motion mechanisms will improve the outcome of vitreoretinal therapeutic interventions and lower the barrier to access of devices for higher diagnostic fidelity and multi-scale manipulation robots.