Development of a new 3-DOF parallel manipulator for minimally invasive surgery

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Medical Engineering
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Minimally invasive surgery requires advanced robotic tools for improved precision and dexterity.
• Existing endoscopic manipulators often face limitations in workspace and singularity-free operation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and analyze a novel 3-DOF dexterous endoscopic parallel manipulator for minimally invasive surgery.
• To demonstrate its superior bending capabilities and singularity-free workspace compared to existing systems.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 3-limb parallel manipulator with a unique joint axis arrangement (2 rotational, 1 translational DOFs).
• Utilized a geometrical/analytical approach for singularity analysis and ADAMS software for virtual prototyping.
• Obtained closed-form inverse kinematics analytically and forward kinematics numerically; evaluated workspace using motion/force transmissibility indices.
• Conducted experiments with a scaling technique and PID controller to validate the teleoperated system.

Main Results:

• The proposed manipulator achieves large bending angles (±90°) in any direction.
• The unique design results in a workspace largely free from interior singularities.
• Virtual prototype validation and analytical/numerical solutions for kinematics were successfully obtained.
• Experimental results demonstrated the feasibility of a teleoperated surgical system using the manipulator.

Conclusions:

• The novel dexterous endoscopic parallel manipulator offers significant advantages for minimally invasive surgery due to its large bending capability and singularity-free workspace.
• The geometrical/analytical approach facilitates complex singularity analysis, and experimental validation confirms the system's practical feasibility for teleoperation.