Robotic unit for microsurgical procedures

Apparatus for performing robotic microsurgery on a portion of a body of a patient using one or more tools, the apparatus comprising:

• an end effector;
• a tool mount coupled to the end effector and configured to securely hold the one or more tools;
• a pair of parallel robotic arms coupled to the end effector and which are configured to rotate the one or more tools through a pitch angular rotation by the pair of parallel robotic arms undergoing a change in pitch;
• and
• a pitch-rotation mechanism comprising:
• a worm gear coupled to the pair of parallel robotic arms, such that rotation of the worm gear causes the parallel robotic arms to undergo the change in pitch;
• a worm screw that engages the worm gear and is configured to rotate the worm gear;
• and
• a spring configured to bias the pair of parallel robotic arms in a given direction, such as to reduce backlash of the parallel robotic arms in response to changes in rotational motion of the worm gear.

Apparatus for performing robotic microsurgery on an eye of a patient, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of tools having different shapes from each other;
• an end effector;
• a tool mount coupled to the end effector and configured to securely hold the one or more tools;
• one or more robotic arms coupled to the end effector and which are configured to move each of the tools while it is held by the tool mount by the one or more robotic arms moving the end effector;
• and
• a computer processor configured to:
• drive the robotic arms to insert the tool into the patient's eye through an incision region;
• receive an input that is indicative of which tool is being held by the tool mount;
• receive a further input indicating that the tool should be retracted from the patient's eye;
• and
• in response to receiving the further input indicating that the tool should be retracted from the patient's eye, move the tool in such a manner that the tool is removed via the incision region.