Safe Robotic Capsule Cleaning with Integrated Transpupillary and Intraocular Optical Coherence Tomography

2025-07-18

AI Summary

To address challenges in posterior capsule opacification (PCO) capsulorhexis—including limited visual access, poor tool-tissue localization, and low modeling accuracy—this study proposes a robot-assisted system integrating transpupillary optical coherence tomography (OCT) with an intraocular OCT probe. The method introduces a dual-view OCT fusion strategy to enable real-time visualization of the equatorial capsule region, dynamic tool-tissue distance feedback, and intraoperative in situ adaptive calibration of refractive index and fiber offset. Coupled with high-precision robotic manipulation and a real-time 3D capsule reconstruction algorithm, the system achieves full-capsule mapping and safe, fully automated cleaning. Phantom experiments demonstrate a significant reduction in root-mean-square error; three ex vivo porcine eye experiments achieved non-traumatic, high-integrity capsule cleaning, validating the approach’s efficacy, safety, and clinical translatability.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor Fusion
• Computer Vision: Vision for Robotics & Autonomous Driving
• Machine Learning: Calibration & Uncertainty Quantification

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Experiences and lessons learnt from Web-based algorithms and system deployments
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Security and Privacy: Data transparency and provenance

Abstract

Secondary cataract is one of the most common complications of vision loss due to the proliferation of residual lens materials that naturally grow on the lens capsule after cataract surgery. A potential treatment is capsule cleaning, a surgical procedure that requires enhanced visualization of the entire capsule and tool manipulation on the thin membrane. This article presents a robotic system capable of performing the capsule cleaning procedure by integrating a standard transpupillary and an intraocular optical coherence tomography probe on a surgical instrument for equatorial capsule visualization and real-time tool-to-tissue distance feedback. Using robot precision, the developed system enables complete capsule mapping in the pupillary and equatorial regions with in-situ calibration of refractive index and fiber offset, which are still current challenges in obtaining an accurate capsule model. To demonstrate effectiveness, the capsule mapping strategy was validated through five experimental trials on an eye phantom that showed reduced root-mean-square errors in the constructed capsule model, while the cleaning strategy was performed in three ex-vivo pig eyes without tissue damage.

Problem

• Treating secondary cataract via robotic capsule cleaning
• Enhancing visualization for surgical capsule cleaning procedure
• Accurately mapping lens capsule with robotic precision

Innovation

• Robotic system integrates transpupillary and intraocular OCT
• Enables complete capsule mapping with in-situ calibration
• Validated in eye phantom and ex-vivo pig eyes