Researchers from the Wyss Institute,
Harvard SEAS, and Sony have created
the mini-RCM, a small surgical
robot that can help surgeons
perform delicate teleoperated
procedures on the human body.
The robot was designed using the
Pop-up MEMS method, which deposits
materials in sheets and laser
cuts them so they "pop up"
into their desired shape.
The mini-RCM is actuated by
three liner actuators (mini-LAs)
that control its movements
in different directions.
The mini-RCM was 68% more
accurate in a microscopic
tracing test
than a tool controlled by hand.
In a mock retinal vein cannulation
procedure, the mini-RCM successfully
punctured a tube twice the width
of a human hair.
The robot's small size and light
weight make it easier to set up
and use than existing surgical
robots, and it can easily be
removed from the patient's body
if complications arise.
