A bio-inspired expandable soft suction gripper for minimal invasive surgery-an explorative design study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Robotics
• Bio-inspired Design

Background:

• Conventional tissue grippers in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) struggle with slippery and flexible tissues due to low friction.
• Existing grippers require significant force to compensate for poor grip on delicate tissue surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel suction gripper inspired by biological suction discs for improved tissue handling in MIS.
• To create a device that grips tissue using pressure difference, avoiding the need for enclosure.

Main Methods:

• Designed a bio-inspired suction gripper with a suction chamber and a multi-layered suction tip.
• The suction tip integrates five functions: foldability, air-tightness, slideability, friction magnification, and seal generation.
• The gripper is designed to fit through a 10 mm trocar and expand its suction surface post-insertion.

Main Results:

• The developed suction gripper achieved a significant attachment force of 5.95±0.52 N on muscle tissue.
• Demonstrated superior performance compared to conventional suction discs and existing literature grippers in terms of attachment force and substrate versatility.
• The multi-layered tip effectively creates an air-tight seal and enhances frictional support for secure tissue handling.

Conclusions:

• The bio-inspired suction gripper provides a safer and more effective alternative to conventional tissue grippers in MIS.
• This technology has the potential to improve surgical outcomes by enabling more reliable tissue manipulation.
• Further research can explore applications in handling a wider range of delicate tissues and complex surgical scenarios.