Customization of a passive surgical support robot to specifications for ophthalmic surgery and preliminary evaluation

Purpose To customize a passive surgery support robot for ophthalmic surgery and preliminarily evaluate its performance. Study design Prospective observational study. Methods The range of motion of the arm was analyzed during ophthalmic surgery and, based on this analysis, a commercially available passive robot was customized for surgical support for ophthalmic surgery; following which a prototype robot was constructed. To examine the effects on the brachial muscle during surgical operations with and without the prototype robot, surface electromyograms of the biceps and triceps were analyzed after performing continuous curvilinear capsulorrhexis (CCC) and suturing the sclerocorneal wound in a cataract surgery simulation. Six surgeons performed cataract surgery, and the degree of arm stability and muscle fatigue during surgery were evaluated using a visual analog scale. Results During surgery, the prototype robot enabled fixation of the elbow and wrist at any position within the surgeon’s range of motion, expanding the range of motion of the hand and fingers and stabilizing operability. Surface electromyography showed a significant decrease in the mean amplitude value of the biceps brachii during both CCC and suturing (p < 0.0001). No significant difference was observed in the triceps brachii. The arm stability and muscle fatigue were improved by 83.3% on the visual analog scale with the prototype robot compared with that without protpotype robot. Conclusion The use of a passive prototype robot may improve arm stability and reduce muscle fatigue during ophthalmic surgery.