Even the most skilled and steady surgeons experience minute,
almost imperceptible hand tremors when performing delicate tasks. Normally,
these tiny motions are inconsequential, but for doctors specializing in
fine-scale surgery, such as operating inside the human eye or repairing
microscopic nerve fibers, freehand tremors can pose a serious risk for
patients.
By harnessing a specialized optical fiber sensor, a new
“smart” surgical tool can compensate for this unwanted movement by making
hundreds of precise position corrections each second – fast enough to keep the
surgeon’s hand on target.