title: Mobility experiments with microrobots for minimally invasive intraocular surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate microrobots as an assistive tool for minimally invasive intraocular surgery and to demonstrate mobility and controllability inside the living rabbit eye.
  
  
  METHODS
  A system for wireless magnetic control of untethered microrobots was developed. Mobility and controllability of a microrobot are examined in different media, specifically vitreous, balanced salt solution (BSS), and silicone oil. This is demonstrated through ex vivo and in vivo animal experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The developed electromagnetic system enables precise control of magnetic microrobots over a workspace that covers the posterior eye segment. The system allows for rotation and translation of the microrobot in different media (vitreous, BSS, silicone oil) inside the eye.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravitreal introduction of untethered mobile microrobots can enable sutureless and precise ophthalmic procedures. Ex vivo and in vivo experiments demonstrate that microrobots can be manipulated inside the eye. Potential applications are targeted drug delivery for maculopathies such as AMD, intravenous deployment of anticoagulation agents for retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and mechanical applications, such as manipulation of epiretinal membrane peeling (ERM). The technology has the potential to reduce the invasiveness of ophthalmic surgery and assist in the treatment of a variety of ophthalmic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ullrich
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bergeles
authors.forename: Juho
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pokki
authors.forename: Olgac
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ergeneman
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erni
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chatzipirpiridis
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pané
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Framme
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020878:Device Removal / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008280:Magnetics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D059346:Magnets; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D023421:Models, Animal; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000601:surgery; D059015:Wireless Technology / Q000295:instrumentation