Concentric Tube Robot Design and Optimization Based on Task and Anatomical Constraints

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Medical Robotics
• Surgical Robotics

Background:

• Concentric tube robots are catheter-sized continuum robots ideal for minimally invasive surgery in confined anatomical spaces.
• These robots are composed of pre-curved superelastic tubes capable of forming complex 3D curves, essential for surgical navigation.
• The specific curves a robot can achieve are determined by the number, curvature, length, and stiffness of its constituent tubes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an optimization framework for designing concentric tube robot tube sets tailored to specific surgical procedures and patient anatomy.
• To generate robot designs that minimize length and curvature while ensuring stable configurations for all required surgical paths.
• To address the challenge of designing robots that can smoothly navigate and manipulate tools within anatomical constraints.

Main Methods:

• Utilized procedure- and patient-specific image-based anatomical models combined with surgical workspace requirements.
• Developed an optimization algorithm to search for optimal tube set designs.
• Employed two mechanics-based kinematic models: an initial design phase using a torsionally rigid model, followed by refinement with a torsionally compliant model.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated optimized concentric tube robot designs based on anatomical and workspace constraints.
• Demonstrated the framework's ability to minimize robot length and curvature.
• Validated the stability of all procedural paths within the generated robot configurations.

Conclusions:

• The proposed optimization framework effectively designs concentric tube robots for minimally invasive surgery.
• The approach is adaptable for various clinical applications, as shown by neurosurgery and intracardiac surgery examples.
• This method facilitates the creation of customized, high-performance surgical robots.