Abstract
PurposeIn the era of patient-centered medicine, clinical procedures, tools and instruments should be individually adapted to the patient. In this context, the presented 3D-printed Single-Port Overtube Manipulator System follows the aims to provide patient- and task-specific disposable manipulators for minimally invasive surgery. In a first experiment, the robustness of the monolithic flexure hinge structures in use as robotic manipulators will be investigated.MethodsCustomizable monolithic manipulator structures designed by means of an automated design process and manufactured with selective laser sintering were investigated with regard to long-term stability in an endurance test. Therefore, a bare manipulator arm, an arm equipped with a standard instrument and finally loaded with an additional load of 0.5 N were evaluated by continuously following a trajectory within the workspace of the manipulator arms over a period of 90 min.ResultsThe unloaded manipulator as well as the manipulator arm equipped with a standard instrument showed a sufficient reproducibility (deviation of 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm, respectively, on average) with regard to an application as telemanipulated master–slave surgical robotic system. The 3D-printed manipulators showed no damage and maintained integrity after the experiment.ConclusionIt has been shown that 3D-printed manipulators in principle are suitable for use as disposable surgical manipulator systems and offer a long-term stability over at least 90 min. The developed manipulator design shows great potential for the production of patient-, task- and user-specific robot systems. However, the manipulator geometries as well as the control strategies still show room for improvements.
Highlights
IntroductionThe SPOT Manipulator System is designed as an overtube for standard flexible or rigid endoscopes with adaptable manipulator arms at its distal end
Invasive surgery (MIS) has gained an importance over the last decade as it offers significant benefits to the patient, such as less patient trauma and a shorter recovery1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (2020) 15:1693–1697 developed as part of an interdisciplinary research project (DFG FOR 1321).The SPOT Manipulator System is designed as an overtube for standard flexible or rigid endoscopes with adaptable manipulator arms at its distal end
In order to optimally adapt the system to the requirements of the application and the needs of the operating surgeon, different control concepts for the soft robotic manipulator structures have been investigated such as purely mechanical direct drive principles for an endoscopic SPOT manipulator as published in [4]
Summary
The SPOT Manipulator System is designed as an overtube for standard flexible or rigid endoscopes with adaptable manipulator arms at its distal end. An automated design process for the manipulator structures based on a monolithic flexure hinge design was developed. Depending on the required forces and the application, the individual flexure hinges can be adapted [5] as well as the entire shape of the manipulator, e.g., the entire shaft design. In order to optimally adapt the system to the requirements of the application and the needs of the operating surgeon, different control concepts for the soft robotic manipulator structures have been investigated such as purely mechanical direct drive principles for an endoscopic SPOT manipulator as published in [4]. In combination with the control concept, the robustness of the manipulator structures under the increased loads caused by the electrical actuation by means of double pull is to be investigated
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