Ryan McNabb, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology at Duke Eye Center, was part of an interdisciplinary Bass Connections team that explored how robotic surgery platforms could help expand access to specialized surgical care in rural and underserved communities.
The project, Reimagining Surgery for Rural Needs: Robotics Teleoperation, brought together faculty and students from Duke's School of Medicine and Pratt School of Engineering to develop a robotic laser surgery platform that can be operated remotely by clinicians. The team aimed to address barriers faced by patients who must travel long distances to access advanced surgical procedures.
McNabb served as a faculty co-leader alongside colleagues from engineering and neurosurgery, helping guide the project's integration of imaging, robotics, and clinician-informed design. The team developed a functioning prototype that combines robotic motion, laser control, live camera feedback, imaging, and a surgeon-facing interface. Through surveys and clinician feedback, the researchers also explored the features surgeons consider most important for robot-assisted procedures, including precision, visualization, safety, and ease of use.
The project demonstrated that an integrated robotic laser platform can support precise, image-guided tissue removal through teleoperation and highlighted the importance of designing new technologies around the needs of practicing clinicians.
In addition to producing an open-source robotic surgery platform and clinician feedback dashboard, the team presented its work at leading robotics and medical robotics conferences and continues to advance research on teleoperated surgical systems.
The project was featured in Duke Bass Connections' 2025-2026 team profiles, which showcase interdisciplinary efforts addressing real-world challenges through collaboration across medicine, engineering, and public health.