Operating in the submillimetre range

An increasing number of surgeons are being supported in their work by robots. In many cases, the SpaceMouse® module from MEGATRON is used for high-precision positioning: the joystick allows complex 3D movements to be controlled with one hand.

The SpaceMouse® module is equipped with a contactless, wear-free optoelectronic sensor. The 3D finger joystick offers users six degrees of freedom and is characterized by its high sensitivity. As the module reacts to even the slightest movement of the finger or wrist, it enables highly precise control. The intuitive operation of the 3D finger joystick involves pressing, pulling, turning and tilting, so no familiarization time is required.

MEGATRON supplies the SpaceMouse® module with a choice of interface: CANopen (up to 1 Mbit/s), USB (1.1/2.0) or serial (UART). The CANopen version allows various standard settings, such as the CANopen node ID and baud rate, to be selected via DIP switches. Thanks to the screw flange and low installation depth of <19 mm, mounting the 3D joystick is simple, cost-effective and space-saving.

Leading medical technology manufacturers integrate the SpaceMouse® module from MEGATRON into their products as standard. BHS Technologies, for instance, incorporates the 3D joystick into its RoboticScope® microsurgical visualization tool. The interaction between the head-mounted display (HMD) and the robot-guided camera head in this innovative surgical microscope allows surgeons to work in a relaxed, ergonomic position. The SpaceMouse® module is used to align the robotic head precisely over the surgical field. This gives the surgeon the freedom to move the robotic head as if it were an extension of their arm.

Interventional Systems (iSYS), based in Kitzbühel, also uses the SpaceMouse® module. With Micromate™, the company has launched the world's first medical robotic platform enabling a variety of percutaneous procedures, i.e. minimally invasive operations through the skin. Micromate™ offers interventional radiologists and oncologists a cost-effective, fully equipped miniature robotic platform for performing biopsies, tumour removal, and other high-precision surgical procedures. The SpaceMouse® module from MEGATRON plays a key role in this. It aligns surgical instruments to the planned treatment level with sub-millimetre precision in a matter of seconds. With its help, the surgical needle can be positioned much more precisely than with conventional freehand guidance. The actual operation is then performed manually by the surgeon. The platform's very high accuracy and small size enable more seamless and precise procedures than before.