Precision measurement for microsurgical instrument evaluation

An accurate three-dimensional optical sensing system to track the tip of a microsurgical instrument has been developed for laboratory use. The system is useful for evaluation of microsurgical instrument designs and devices for accuracy enhancement (both robotic devices and active hand-held instrument), as well as for assessment and training of microsurgeons. It can also be used as a high-precision input interface to micro-surgical simulators. Tracking is done by illuminating the workspace at an infrared wavelength and using optical sensors to find the position of a small reflective ball at the instrument tip. The RMS noise per coordinate is presently 1 micron. Sample results are presented.