GEYEDANCE: An OCT-Enhanced Multi-Modal Feedback Platform for Robot-Assisted Ophthalmic Surgery

Abstract

Vitreoretinal surgery includes a group of highly complex microsurgical procedures that demand precision. Robotic systems can enhance surgical performance, particularly for novice surgeons, while ensuring patient safety through advanced sensing capabilities. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), commonly used for eye anatomy imaging, is typically implemented via microscopes or diagnostic devices. This paper introduces the GEYEDANCE system, a bilateral teleoperated microsurgery platform integrating OCT directly at the end-effector of its remote manipulator, offering multi-modal feedback. The system enables intraoperative global eye modelling and surface reconstruction by exploiting a neural network-based tool-to-tissue distance estimation module. Its performance was validated in the operating room using ex-vivo eyes, effectively simulating the surgical steps of various vitreoretinal procedures.