Automated Device for Intravitreal Injections

An automated system that injects medication into the vitreous humor of the eye (intravitreally) is proposed in this work. By providing a robotic injection system with an integrated local sterile environment, we can increase safety for patients, decrease procedure times, allow for integrated data storage and documentation, and reduce costs for medical staff and expensive operating rooms. The intended system allows for an assisted injection that is initiated via a computer and monitored by a remote ophthalmic surgeon via a visual-auditory communication system. As the injection needle is guided through software, including eye-tracking and iris recognition, the only component that touches the eye is the injection needle. Precision and safety are fundamental to the system design and do not depend on the manual dexterity of medical staff using a hand-held system.