Successful Peripheral Retina Observation Without Scleral Depression Using the Intraocular Endoscope-Holding Robot "OQrimo"
A research group from Juntendo University successfully conducted a clinical trial observing the peripheral retina without "scleral depression" using the endoscope-holding robot "OQrimo." This advancement safely reduces patient pain during surgery.
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- 📰 Published: April 2, 2026 at 20:00
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The research group led by Professor Shintaro Nakao of the Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, conducted a comparative trial (First-in-Human) to observe the peripheral retina without "scleral depression", which was conventionally essential in vitreoretinal surgery, using the intraocular endoscope-holding robot "OQrimo". In conventional surgery, scleral depression was necessary to observe the peripheral retina, which posed a challenge due to the burden placed on patients, such as pain. In this study, as a result of comparing 16 patients divided into a robot group and a conventional method group, the degree of postoperative inflammation was equivalent to the conventional method, and safety was confirmed with no intraoperative complications. This result not only contributes to the establishment of new surgical techniques that reduce the physical burden on patients, but also greatly promotes the popularization and development of robotic surgery in the ophthalmology field in the future. This paper was published online in the journal "Ophthalmology Science" on February 5, 2026.
Key Points of this Research
- Conducted a comparative verification of the usefulness and safety of peripheral retina observation without scleral depression using the intraocular endoscope-holding robot "OQrimo" versus conventional methods.
- Succeeded in peripheral observation without depression in the robot group, confirming high safety equivalent to conventional methods in evaluations of postoperative inflammation, etc.
- Expected to lead to future developments in ophthalmic robotic surgery, in addition to reducing patients' physical burden.
Background
In vitreoretinal surgery performed for conditions like retinal detachment that can lead to blindness, observing the peripheral retina is essential for treating lesions and preventing complications. Traditionally, a technique called "scleral depression," which involves pushing the white of the eye from the outside, was used for this observation, but it caused severe pain and discomfort to patients and was a cause of postoperative inflammation. Additionally, because one of the surgeon's hands was occupied, delicate operations using both hands were restricted. In recent years, as robotic surgery has become popular in the medical field, we have been involved in the development of the intraocular endoscope-holding robot "OQrimo". The purpose of this study was to verify the safety and usefulness of a new robot-assisted ophthalmic surgery that uses OQrimo to observe the peripheral retina without scleral depression, which is a physical burden on patients.
Content
This study included 16 patients (16 eyes) scheduled for 25-gauge vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane and concurrent cataract surgery. They were divided into a "robot group" (8 eyes) that observed the peripheral retina without scleral depression using the endoscope-holding robot "OQrimo", and a "conventional group" (8 eyes) using the conventional scleral depression method, to compare efficacy and safety. As a result, in 87.5% (7/8 eyes) of cases in the robot group, peripheral retina observation was successful without scleral depression. The observation range of the peripheral retina by the endoscope held by the robot reached an average of 9.29 (±2.13) hours when converted to a clock face (12 hours), indicating that wide-area observation is possible. Regarding safety, although the operation time in the robot group was longer than in the conventional group, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in the degree of intraocular inflammation (anterior chamber flare value) at 3 hours, 24 hours, and 1 week postoperatively, or in patients' pain scores on the first postoperative day. Furthermore, wound healing was unproblematic in the robot group, and no severe surgical complications were observed in either group. These results demonstrated that peripheral retina observation without concurrent scleral depression using an intraocular endoscope-holding robot can be performed while maintaining high safety equivalent to conventional methods. This achievement not only reduces the physical burden on patients by eliminating the need for painful scleral depression but is also an important result that will greatly advance the social implementation of robot-assisted surgery in the ophthalmology field in the future.
Future Developments
In this study, the research group demonstrated that the peripheral retina can be safely observed without scleral depression, which had previously been a physical burden on patients, by using the intraocular endoscope-holding robot "OQrimo". Although some blind spots in observation remain with current robot-held endoscopes, it is believed that more comprehensive peripheral observation will become possible in the future with the development of endoscopes with wider angles of view and curved endoscopes. Because this method allows the surgeon to sustain two-handed operations during ophthalmic surgery, it is expected to be applied to current complex vitreoretinal surgeries and to advance ophthalmic robotic surgery. We will continue to promote research aimed at further improving the surgical efficiency and social implementation of this system, striving to deliver safe and low-burden cutting-edge medical care to more patients.
Key Points of this Research
- Conducted a comparative verification of the usefulness and safety of peripheral retina observation without scleral depression using the intraocular endoscope-holding robot "OQrimo" versus conventional methods.
- Succeeded in peripheral observation without depression in the robot group, confirming high safety equivalent to conventional methods in evaluations of postoperative inflammation, etc.
- Expected to lead to future developments in ophthalmic robotic surgery, in addition to reducing patients' physical burden.
Background
In vitreoretinal surgery performed for conditions like retinal detachment that can lead to blindness, observing the peripheral retina is essential for treating lesions and preventing complications. Traditionally, a technique called "scleral depression," which involves pushing the white of the eye from the outside, was used for this observation, but it caused severe pain and discomfort to patients and was a cause of postoperative inflammation. Additionally, because one of the surgeon's hands was occupied, delicate operations using both hands were restricted. In recent years, as robotic surgery has become popular in the medical field, we have been involved in the development of the intraocular endoscope-holding robot "OQrimo". The purpose of this study was to verify the safety and usefulness of a new robot-assisted ophthalmic surgery that uses OQrimo to observe the peripheral retina without scleral depression, which is a physical burden on patients.
Content
This study included 16 patients (16 eyes) scheduled for 25-gauge vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane and concurrent cataract surgery. They were divided into a "robot group" (8 eyes) that observed the peripheral retina without scleral depression using the endoscope-holding robot "OQrimo", and a "conventional group" (8 eyes) using the conventional scleral depression method, to compare efficacy and safety. As a result, in 87.5% (7/8 eyes) of cases in the robot group, peripheral retina observation was successful without scleral depression. The observation range of the peripheral retina by the endoscope held by the robot reached an average of 9.29 (±2.13) hours when converted to a clock face (12 hours), indicating that wide-area observation is possible. Regarding safety, although the operation time in the robot group was longer than in the conventional group, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in the degree of intraocular inflammation (anterior chamber flare value) at 3 hours, 24 hours, and 1 week postoperatively, or in patients' pain scores on the first postoperative day. Furthermore, wound healing was unproblematic in the robot group, and no severe surgical complications were observed in either group. These results demonstrated that peripheral retina observation without concurrent scleral depression using an intraocular endoscope-holding robot can be performed while maintaining high safety equivalent to conventional methods. This achievement not only reduces the physical burden on patients by eliminating the need for painful scleral depression but is also an important result that will greatly advance the social implementation of robot-assisted surgery in the ophthalmology field in the future.
Future Developments
In this study, the research group demonstrated that the peripheral retina can be safely observed without scleral depression, which had previously been a physical burden on patients, by using the intraocular endoscope-holding robot "OQrimo". Although some blind spots in observation remain with current robot-held endoscopes, it is believed that more comprehensive peripheral observation will become possible in the future with the development of endoscopes with wider angles of view and curved endoscopes. Because this method allows the surgeon to sustain two-handed operations during ophthalmic surgery, it is expected to be applied to current complex vitreoretinal surgeries and to advance ophthalmic robotic surgery. We will continue to promote research aimed at further improving the surgical efficiency and social implementation of this system, striving to deliver safe and low-burden cutting-edge medical care to more patients.