A soft robotic, modular laparoscopic grasper for atraumatic retraction of the small intestine

In order to address the risk of iatrogenic trauma and retraction challenges associated with minimally invasive surgery, we propose a novel laparoscopic grasper equipped with a suction unit and elastomeric actuators that are inherently soft and compliant, as well as sensors to monitor tissue interaction forces. The device complies with laparoscopic size constraints by entering the abdominal cavity in a closed configuration, then expanding upon entry to gently grasp and retract even severely dilated intestinal segments. In order to minimize the usage of surgical access ports and personnel, the end effector of the proposed grasper is designed to detach and be anchored to the abdominal wall to serve as a passive retraction mechanism. Testing has demonstrated the ability of the proposed grasper to hold and retract in vitro and ex vivo intestinal segments in various contexts, including intestines that have been dilated with air and water to represent small bowel distention.