Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 7, 2026
Design and Fabrication of an Elastomeric Unit for Soft Modular Robots in Minimally Invasive Surgery
Published on: November 14, 2015
Design and Validation of a Compact Concentric-Tube Robot for Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy
Navid Feizi1, Filipe C Pedrosa2, Ruisi Zhang3
1Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics (CSTAR), London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), London, ON N6A 5A5, Canada, and with the School of Biomedical Engineering, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada, at the time of this work; supervisor: R.V. Patel. He is currently with the Department of Radiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
This study introduces a compact concentric-tube robot (CTR) designed for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). The novel design enhances ergonomics and achieves precise navigation for stone removal, outperforming standard surgical tools.
Area of Science:
- Medical Robotics
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Urological Devices
Background:
- Concentric-tube robots (CTRs) offer dexterity for minimally invasive procedures.
- Existing CTR designs lack specificity for surgical instrument applications.
- Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) requires specialized, ergonomic tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a compact CTR specifically engineered for PCNL.
- To enhance ergonomic control for hand-held and robotic arm-mounted operation.
- To validate the CTR's performance for stone removal in PCNL.
Main Methods:
- A parallel carriage-based design was employed to minimize the CTR's footprint.
- Ergonomic evaluations were conducted with urologists and non-clinicians.
- Closed-loop position control using resolved-motion rate inverse kinematics was implemented.
- Performance was tested on a life-size abdominal phantom.
Main Results:
- The CTR features a reduced cross-sectional footprint (46 mm diameter) and localized center of mass for improved ergonomics.
- Ergonomic evaluation indicated superior handling compared to standard PCNL devices.
- Mean closed-loop position errors of 1.2±0.8 mm were achieved during autonomous navigation.
- The CTR demonstrated performance suitable for PCNL requirements.
Conclusions:
- The proposed compact CTR design is well-suited for PCNL applications.
- The robot offers enhanced ergonomics and precise control for urological procedures.
- This CTR design advances the functional application of robotic technology in minimally invasive surgery.
