Abstract
Single-port laparoscopic surgery (SLS), which utilizes one major incision, can deliver favorable cosmetic outcomes with fewer patient hospitalization stays and less postoperative pain. However, current SLS instruments, which are rigid and slender, have been suffering from several drawbacks, including their inability to provide the optimum articulation required to complete certain SLS tasks. This paper reports on the development of a lightweight smart hydraulic actuation system that is proposed to be embedded at selected joints along current SLS instruments, in order to enhance their adaptability with a higher level of stiffness and degrees-of-freedom. The developed smart actuation system utilizes both conventional hydraulic and magnetorheological (MR) fluid actuation technologies. Electromagnetic finite element analyses were conducted to design the electromagnetic circuit of the smart actuator. A prototype of the developed actuation system was manufactured, and its performance was assessed using a dedicated experimental arrangement, which was found to agree well with the results obtained using a Bingham plastic theoretical model. Finally, the present design of the developed smart actuation system permits an angulation of about 90° and a maximum force output in excess of 100 N, generated under a magnetic excitation of about 1.2 Tesla, which should be sufficient to resist torques of up to 500 mNm.
Highlights
Single-port laparoscopic surgery (SLS) is a new paradigm in minimal-access surgery, which aims to improve cosmesis and reduce complications such as ports site hernias, haematomas and wound infections associated with the standard multiport laparoscopic approach
Since the designed MR actuator works under the shear mode, the total locking force (Ft ) provided by the MR damper is equivalent to the sum of the magnetic field-dependent damping force (Fτ ), the viscous damping force (Fv ) and the friction force (Ff ) [30,31]
The work reported in this paper was directed towards the design and assessment of a smart hydraulic actuation system that aimed to enhance the function of single-port laparoscopy surgical (SLS) instruments and provide them with adaptability—a role that should enable them to change their articulation without compromising patient safety
Summary
Single-port laparoscopic surgery (SLS) is a new paradigm in minimal-access surgery, which aims to improve cosmesis and reduce complications such as ports site hernias, haematomas and wound infections associated with the standard multiport laparoscopic approach. Attempts of SLS instrument actuation, using pneumatic actuators and linear electric motors [7,8], for example, were hampered, as it was obvious that their miniaturisation to permit their insertion into narrow surgical trocars severely reduced their output capability These actuation systems usually require multiple cables and tubes, which make SLS instruments bulky, heavy and mechanically complex surgical systems. Recent advances in the mechanical, electrical and chemical characteristics of these fluids have permitted the development of novel electromechanical devices, which have been successfully utilised to optimise the function of many commercial automotive, aerospace and structural systems. The performance of the new actuator under various input conditions was assessed using theoretical and experimental approaches
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