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Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery
Published on: November 14, 2015
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A variable-stiffness continuum manipulators by an SMA-based sheath in minimally invasive surgery
Surong Jiang1, Bai Chen2, Fei Qi2
1College of Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China.
Summary
This study introduces a novel variable-stiffness sheath for continuum manipulators, enhancing their stiffness and strength for minimally invasive surgery. The shape memory alloy (SMA) sheath offers adjustable stiffness via voltage control.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Materials Science
- Surgical Technology
Background:
- Continuum manipulators offer dexterity for confined spaces but lack stiffness and strength.
- This limitation hinders their application in demanding procedures like minimally invasive surgery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel variable-stiffness sheath for continuum manipulators.
- To enhance the stiffness and strength of continuum manipulators for surgical applications.
Main Methods:
- A variable-stiffness sheath utilizing shape memory alloy (SMA) was designed for continuum manipulator modules.
- Stiffness is continuously adjustable by controlling the voltage applied across the SMA sheath, inducing phase transitions between austenite and martensite.
Main Results:
- Experimental results confirmed a significant stiffness increase of up to 223.1% for the sheath and 139.2% for a single module.
- These findings validate the effectiveness of the proposed variable stiffness approach.
Conclusions:
- The integrated variable-stiffness sheath significantly enhances the stiffness of continuum robots.
- This technology shows promise for improving the performance of continuum manipulators in minimally invasive surgery.
