An Active Steering Hand-held Robotic System for Minimally Invasive Orthopaedic Surgery Using a Continuum Manipulator

Area of Science:

• Robotics in Medicine
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Orthopaedic Interventions

Background:

• Conventional rigid drills limit dexterity and reach in confined surgical spaces.
• Minimally invasive orthopaedic surgery requires enhanced tools for precise manipulation.
• Existing systems may lack sufficient stability and control during hard tissue cutting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an active steering robotic system for hand-held milling and curved drilling.
• To improve dexterity, reach, and surgeon control in minimally invasive orthopaedic procedures.
• To ensure stable cutting and milling of hard tissue in confined surgical environments.

Main Methods:

• Development of a cable-driven continuum dexterous manipulator (CDM) with a flexible cutting tool.
• Integration of an actuation unit with a handpiece for surgeon control.
• Implementation of a proportional-derivative (PD) controller for stable CDM steering via cable tension regulation.
• Experimental evaluation using simulated bone and bone phantom with varying parameters.

Main Results:

• The robotic system successfully performed 3D and curvilinear milling and drilling.
• Stable cutting was achieved with material removal rates (MRRs) up to 571 mm³/s.
• The system demonstrated enhanced dexterity and reach compared to conventional rigid drills.
• The PD controller ensured stable steering of the CDM during cutting operations.

Conclusions:

• The developed active steering robotic system significantly enhances capabilities for minimally invasive orthopaedic interventions.
• The system offers improved dexterity, reach, and surgeon control, particularly in confined surgical spaces.
• The proposed controller and system design enable stable and precise hard tissue milling and drilling.