［PRESS RELEASE］Sony CSL Develops Origami-Inspired Surgical Robot and Achieves Subretinal Injection in an Animal Model　

Demonstrating high maneuverability and operability
for potential ophthalmic surgical applications

Sony CSL has developed Origanoid, a compact surgical robotic manipulator inspired by origami structures, through collaborative research with VCCT Inc. (President: Masayo Takahashi)

Using Origanoid, the research team performed subretinal injections in an animal model, confirming fluid delivery into the subretinal space with a high success rate. The result demonstrates the potential of robotic technology that combines the precise maneuverability required for delicate ophthalmic surgery with the safety and usability necessary in real-world clinical settings.

This work was conducted jointly by Hiroyuki Suzuki, a researcher at Sony CSL, and researchers from VVCCT Inc., and has been published in npj Robotics, an international scientific journal published from Nature Portfolio.

©VCCT Inc. / Sony CSL

Origanoid (left), a compact surgical robot manipulator inspired by origami structures, and subretinal injection in an animal model (right).
Precise needle-tip manipulation achieved fluid delivery into the subretinal space, confirmed by the formation of a small bleb, a localized retinal elevation caused by fluid injection.

>>PRESS RELEASE