Snake-like surgical forceps for robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery

Area of Science:

• Robotics in Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Surgical instruments are critical for effective robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RMIS).
• Instrument performance directly influences tissue interaction and surgical outcomes.
• Advancements in instrument design are essential for improving RMIS capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel snake-like surgical instrument for RMIS.
• To evaluate the performance and capabilities of a 4-degrees of freedom (DOF) instrument prototype.
• To assess the instrument's suitability for complex surgical maneuvers.

Main Methods:

• Development of a snake-like surgical instrument with 4 DOFs: forceps motion, forceps rotation, and bi-directional bending.
• In vitro evaluation of the prototype's performance.
• Experimental validation of all instrument DOFs.

Main Results:

• All 4 DOFs were experimentally verified and found sufficient for RMIS.
• The instrument demonstrated powerful and steady operational performance in vitro.
• The prototype's design allows for precise control of position and posture.

Conclusions:

• The snake-like instrument's bending and rotational movements enable precise adjustment of its position and posture within a patient.
• This instrument can serve as a competent assistant in multi-port RMIS.
• The proposed instrument has the potential to enhance surgeon performance and improve patient outcomes in RMIS.