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Updated: Jul 17, 2025
11:06
Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery
Published on: November 14, 2015
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Flexible instrument with contact-aided structure and force feedback for endoscopic surgery
Chi Zhang1, Zhongyuan Ping1, Siyang Zuo1
1Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
Summary
This study introduces a novel 3mm flexible surgical instrument with force feedback, enhancing robot-assisted surgery. Successful in vitro and in vivo trials show its potential for clinical application.
Area of Science:
- Robotics in Medicine
- Surgical Instrumentation
- Medical Device Development
Background:
- Robot-assisted surgery offers benefits but is limited by current flexible instruments.
- Existing instruments often have large diameters, limited maneuverability, and lack force sensing capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel master-slave flexible instrument with integrated force feedback.
- To overcome limitations of current surgical tools in terms of size and sensory feedback.
Main Methods:
- A 3mm diameter, 1200mm long flexible instrument was designed.
- A neural network-based, three-dimensional force sensing unit was integrated.
- A master-slave control system with proportional force feedback was developed.
Main Results:
- The developed flexible instrument successfully completed tasks in both in vitro and in vivo experiments.
- The system demonstrated effective control and force feedback capabilities.
Conclusions:
- The novel flexible instrument shows significant potential for clinical use in robot-assisted surgery.
- An animal trial in swine confirmed the system's viability for digestive tract procedures.
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