Fiber-optic OCT sensor guided “SMART” micro-forceps for microsurgery

• DOI: 10.1364/boe.4.001045
• Publication Date: 2013-06-04T21:00:08Z
• Authors: Cheol Song; Dong Yong Park; Peter L. Gehlbach; Seong Jin Park; Jin U. Kang
• Keywords: 0209 industrial biotechnology; 02 engineering and technology; Clinical Instrumentation

A handheld Smart Micromanipulation Aided Robotic-surgery Tool (SMART) micro-forceps guided by a fiber-optic common-path optical coherence tomography (CP-OCT) sensor is presented. A fiber-optic CP-OCT distance and motion sensor is integrated into the shaft of a micro-forceps. The tool tip position is manipulated longitudinally through a closed loop control using a piezoelectric motor. This novel forceps design could significantly enhance safety, efficiency and surgical outcomes. The basic grasping and peeling functions of the micro-forceps are evaluated in dry phantoms and in a biological tissue model. As compared to freehand use, targeted grasping and peeling performance assisted by active tremor compensation, significantly improves micro-forceps user performance.