CP-OCT sensor guided SMART micro-forceps

Abstract

Even the most stable hands have unintended movements on the order of 50-100 microns within 0-15 Hz. Micro-forceps are one of the frequently used microsurgical tools used to grasp thin layers of tissue during microsurgery. Here, a handheld Smart Micromanipulation Aided Robotic-surgery Tool (SMART) micro-forceps is developed by integrating a fiber-optic common-path optical coherence tomography (CP-OCT) sensor into the micro-forceps. This forceps design could significantly improve performance by canceling unwanted hand tremor during the moment of a grasping. The basic grasping and peeling functions of the micro-forceps are evaluated in dry phantoms and in a biological tissue model.