A British product design firm has produced one of the smallest known robots for surgical use.
With instruments only 1.8 mm in diameter, Axsis developed by Cambridge Consultants, is being used to focus on cataract surgery.
Chris Wagner, head of advanced surgical systems at Cambridge Consultants, says cataract surgery is performed by hand, under a microscope.
"It’s the world’s most common surgery, yet there are still critical complications that can result due to the small size and delicate nature of the eye, and the experience and skill of the surgeon," said Wagner.
"This is where the traditional benefits of robotics – such as motion scaling and minimally invasive access – can help. If we can build robots at this size scale, surgeons of all levels of experience can benefit, improving procedure outcomes and allowing more facilities to offer cataract procedures.”
He said traditional surgical robots are large by design, stemming from the need to control long, straight instruments that pass through small holes into the patient.
However, with Axsis, he says they are using flexible rather than straight instruments, meaning novel motor and control configurations can be used, allowing the overall size of the robot to be reduced significantly, and eliminating the need for a large range of motion outside the body.
“This level of innovation in surgical robotics has the potential to significantly enhance medical treatments and procedures for surgeons and patients alike,” he said.
He hopes the system design could improve the way medical professionals approach a variety of other procedures that require a high level of precision and minimally invasive access. From early intervention procedures for cancer, to expanding the reach of natural orifice surgery for oesophageal and gastrointestinal tract procedures, and potentially allow for robotics to be used in procedures that are currently only performed by hand, such as the placement of certain neurostimulation implants.
[Increased precision for robotics could lead to less invasive surgery. Photo: Cambridge Consultants]