Computer
Engineering Department
Robotics
Laboratory
Professor Mayez Al-Mouhamed
Research Theme
A Dexterous Robotic Surgery Tool for MIS
Procedures
Motivation
- A high-dexterity miniature
robotic structures
- Application to a variety
of applications including Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) like throat with
specific shape, length, and complexity:
- Thin structure for
insertion as endoscopes with multiple long tools through a narrow
laryngoscope like suturing vocal fold tissue, or
- A low diameter surgery
tool to be inserted in the patient body (of the chest and abdomen)
through a pivoting point.
- Minimal kinematic
constraints to ease the passage through fixed entry ports
- Dexterous tools with ease
of manipulation to permit common surgical subtasks.
- Easily scalable to small
sizes, simple to manufacture, and can be used with multiple detachable
surgical tools.
-
Approach
- A light, miniature,
back-drivable, transmission mechanism for robotic surgery
- A master-slave
arrangement, each is 3-dof, revolute, with a pivoting point.
- A functional and ergonomic
interface of master arm to surgeon hand and fingers
- A tight mechanical
interfacing between master and slave arms
- Bilateral structure and
back-drivable with reflected force (haptic) feedback
- Allow remote operation of
2-3 tools with high tip dexterity to enable suturing and soft-tissue
manipulation by the surgeon
- New wire-poley attachment
to eliminates slippage, one steel transmission rope per dof, and
pre-tensioning independently for each loop
- Effective mechanisms,
transparency, compactness, and low cost.
-
Phase 1: Snake-Like Multi-Layered Mechanism
o
Snake-like distal dexterity mater-slave unit based on Samaan's
design (2004)
o
Multi-backbone snakelike mechanism
o
A snake-like multi-layered mechanism using a flexible backbone
o
Actuation redundancy resolution to allow further downsize
scalability while reducing the risk of buckling of the primary backbone
o
Extended to a symmetric Master-Slave mechanism
o
Absence of standard miniature joints
o
Reduced complexity and manufacturing costs
-
Phase 2: A distal Snake-like Master-Slave System (10 mm D)
o
A snake-like (Simaan et al., 2004) multi-layered mechanism using a
flexible backbone
o
Extended to a symmetric Master-Slave mechanism
o
Uses four 0.6 mm Steel flexible ropes connecting the layers of
master and slave mechanisms
o
25 cm distance from master to slave mechanism
o
Inexpensive due to absence of joints
o
Reduce the manufacturing costs
o
Reduced size due to the small number of moving parts
-
Phase 3: A 14 MM 3-DOF Master-Slave Surgery Tool (see
video clip of robotic surgery tool)
o
Articulated, revolute, 3 dof, wire-based miniature manipulator arm
(14mm D)
o
Extended to a symmetric master-slave mechanism
o
Interface to surgeon hand and fingers (Pending Patent)
o
Three 0.6 mm steel ropes for one-to-one connection of the 3 dof
of master and slave arms
o
Master and slave can be extended to arbitrary distance using small
motors and servos
o
Offers a total of 6 dof to its terminal using body position (3
dof) rotation (1 dof)
