Robotic system could help treat AMD

A team of researchers at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the UCL Institute of Healthcare Engineering have been awarded a £1.1million grant from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to develop a robotic system to help replace damaged retinal cells in people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

New advances in regenerative and cellular therapies have meant that it might soon be possible to restore some sight for people with AMD. Researchers have been able to grow new retinal cells that could be transplanted to replace the damaged cells in the eye. However, delivery of these treatments, under the retina, is currently performed using a hand-held needle. This is very demanding for surgeons and is at the limit of what can be achieved with conventional surgery, which restricts what success can be achieved.

The funding grant awarded by the Invention for Innovation programme will be used to develop a flexible robotic system