Laparoscopic surgical device with modular end tools for real-time endomicroscopy and therapy

Area of Science:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Robotics
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Laparoscopic surgery offers minimal invasiveness but traditional instruments lack real-time imaging capabilities for tissue assessment.
• Performing complex procedures remains challenging due to the limitations of current surgical tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel laparoscopic surgical device integrating real-time endomicroscopy and therapy.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional instruments in complex laparoscopic procedures.

Main Methods:

• Development of a laparoscopic device with an integrated visualization unit for endoscopic imaging.
• Incorporation of a multi-degree-of-freedom (DOF) manipulator for modular end-tool assembly and switching.
• Experimental validation using surface-scanning and spring-loaded forceps tools.

Main Results:

• The surface-scanning tool achieved smooth scanning and a 6.99 mm² mosaic in 40.2 s for tissue assessment.
• The spring-loaded forceps demonstrated an effective output force of 1.47 N for tissue manipulation.
• Experimental results confirm the device's functionality for real-time tissue assessment and manipulation.

Conclusions:

• The novel laparoscopic device shows significant potential for intraoperative endomicroscopy-guided surgery.
• The integrated system is promising for advancing robot-assisted surgery with enhanced visualization and therapeutic capabilities.