08/2 Biomedical microrobots for ocular surgery

		MEMS microrobots will be steered inside the vitreous of the eye for surgical operations on the retina. The microrobots have a Hybrid MEMS design with individually manufactured sub-components assembled together into a complex 3D shape. Different magnetic field generating coil configurations as well as permanent magnet based steering systems are being investigated. An electroplating process is used to manufacture the prototype microrobot parts.

BioMicrorobotics is an emerging field that combines the exciting new tools and capabilities enabled by Micro- and Nano-Technology with the established theory and techniques of robotics for biomedical applications. This project is building sub-mm sized, untethered robots for use in the vitreous humour (a clear, gel like substance that fills the bulk of the human eye) for retinal surgery.

This task requires an innovative combination of Micro- and Nano-Technology with macro-scale medical robotics. Therefore, our efforts can be broadly divided into two main areas:

• Building the microrobots using MEMS, NEMS and robotic microassembly technologies
  
• Applying and controlling the microrobots for in vivo applications using medical imaging, and novel magnetic steering methods