TUM Develops Ultra-Precise Eye Surgery Robot to Treat Age-Related Macular Degeneration with 15-Micrometer Accuracy

The robot developed by TUM professor Ali Nasser delivers injections with an accuracy of 15 micrometres.

(IN BRIEF) Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), led by Professor Mohammad Ali Nasseri, have developed a robotic assistant capable of delivering ultra-precise eye injections to treat age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The system, requiring less than five minutes of setup time, can insert injections into the retina with an accuracy of 15 micrometers, far surpassing manual performance. Equipped with neural networks, optical sensors, and real-time motion tracking, the robot ensures precise drug delivery even when the eye moves involuntarily. Supported by a €1.91 million grant under the GRATA project funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space, the innovation represents a major advance in robot-assisted microsurgery. Preclinical trials are set to begin with pig eyes, followed by animal and human testing in the coming years.

(PRESS RELEASE) MUNICH, 22-Oct-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — A research team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has unveiled a new robotic assistant that could revolutionize the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. The precision robot, developed under the leadership of Professor Mohammad Ali Nasseri, can deliver drug injections into the retina with extraordinary accuracy while requiring less than five minutes to prepare for surgery.

Currently, AMD is treated by injecting medication into the side of the eye to block a growth factor that can cause blindness. TUM’s robot, however, can administer the drug directly into the retina — a delicate layer only 200 micrometers thick — with an astonishing precision of just 15 micrometers. This level of accuracy ensures the medication reaches the exact target while minimizing potential complications. Nearly 200 million people are currently affected by AMD, a number expected to rise to 280 million by 2040, particularly among individuals over 60.

Professor Nasseri, who leads the Chair of Medical Autonomy and Precision Surgery at TUM and is a member of the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI), explains: “We have trained neural networks so that the robot can automatically find the ideal position for the procedure in under five minutes.” The mobile system, which integrates a turntable and a highly sensitive robotic arm, uses advanced sensors to locate the patient’s eye and iris autonomously. In traditional robotic surgeries, preparation can take up to an hour, making this breakthrough a major step toward clinical practicality.

To achieve its 15-micrometer precision, the system operates on multiple levels of accuracy — centimeter for platform alignment, millimeter for instrument positioning, and micrometer for injection delivery. The robot’s manipulator, developed in collaboration with a Japanese manufacturing partner, maintains stability even when the patient’s eye moves involuntarily. Using optical coherence tomography (OCT), the system continuously tracks these subtle movements and compensates in real time. Tests with artificial eyes performing sinusoidal movements confirmed the robot’s ability to follow such motion for a full minute with only a 25-micrometer deviation — well within the safe threshold for eye injections.

Professor Peter Charbel Issa, Director of the Department of Ophthalmology at the TUM Clinic, noted that the innovation could significantly reduce risks such as inflammation and infection often associated with manual eye injections. Before human trials, however, the technology will undergo further testing on animal models. Trials on pig eyes, which closely resemble human eyes in structure, will precede live-animal testing planned for 2026, with human trials expected to follow within a few years.

The robot’s development is part of GRATA, a newly funded €1.91 million research project coordinated by Professor Nasseri and supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). Over the next three years, GRATA will focus on developing modular, AI-driven platforms for robot-assisted microsurgery, in collaboration with partners including fortiss, TU Chemnitz, adesso SE, SynthesEyes GmbH, and YOUSE GmbH. The ultimate goal is to equip medical professionals with intelligent tools that enhance precision, reduce surgical risks, and expand access to life-changing robotic procedures.

Publications

PAROS: Multi-Component Robotic System and an Image-Guided Patient Alignment for Robot-Assisted Ophthalmic Surgery; Alireza Alikhani, Van Dai Nguyen, Satoshi Inagaki, Benjamin Busam, Koorosh Faridpooya, Mathias Maier, Peter Gehlbach, Iulian Iordachita, Nassir Navab, M. Ali Nasseri, Daniel Zapp; 2025; https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11003878

Towards Motion Compensation in Autonomous Robotic Subretinal Injections; Demir Arikan, Mojtaba Esfandiari, Peiyao Zhang, Michael Sommersperger, Shervin Dehghani, Russell H. Taylor, M. Ali Nasseri, Peter Gehlbach, Nassir Navab, Iulian Iordachita; International Symposium on Medical Robotics (ISMR), 2025: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11025990