Design of a surgeon-machine interface for teleoperated microsurgery

It is not uncommon for a microsurgeon to perform 150-200- mu m movements during an operation. Many techniques requiring even smaller movements will not be possible due to the basic limits of human dexterity. To address this need, the authors have begun development of a bimanual telemicrorobotics system featuring high-precision robotic manipulators, which in turn position the microsurgeon's tools. To provide the microsurgeon with effective control of the manipulators, a bimanual surgeon-machine interface (SMI) must be developed. The authors address the design constraints of such an interface and present some possibilities for such a system.>