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Published on: January 7, 2019
Design and Preliminary Evaluation of a Hand-Held Surgical Robot for Enhanced Intuitive Control in Laparoscopy
Kang Kong1, Zidong Qiang1, Yingkan Yang2
1Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
Background:
Surgical robots offer improved precision and stability for laparoscopy; nevertheless, their limited portability and high cost impede broader clinical applications.
Methods:
This paper proposes a hand-held surgical robot with an ergonomic handle and isomorphic kinematics to enhance intuitive operability and portability. A preliminary evaluation was conducted through simulated suture tasks, assessing operation time, precision, muscle activity, and cognitive load.
Results:
Compared to conventional instruments, the hand-held robot enabled novices (n = 8) to suture significantly faster (p = 0.036) with reduced cognitive demand, while showing a non-significant trend towards higher precision (p = 0.206). For surgeons (n = 3), performance and ergonomics were similar between the two instruments. Notably, muscle fatigue did not significantly increase when using the robot.
Conclusions:
The proposed hand-held surgical robot provides a feasible, intuitive, and convenient solution for minimally invasive surgery (MIS), particularly beneficial for less experienced operators.
