Interdisciplinary concept of design, actuation, control and vision computing of a laser-sintered single-port robot

Abstract

One standard procedure in minimally invasive surgery is the endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), where neoplastic mucosa is being removed. The standard endoscopes and flexible instruments currently used in everyday routine have limited maneuverability and are controlled in an unintuitive manner. To overcome these drawbacks we propose a telemanipulation system capable of independently controlling two standard flexible endoscopic instruments with sufficient triangulation that is comparable to the dexterity of classical open surgery. By using the rapid manufacturing technique selective laser sintering (SLS) of a biocompatible polyamide, we want to examine basic design principles to print our telemanipulation system in one part and to individualize its characteristics for patient specific print-out in the future. In this paper we give an overview of our system from the mechanical design via control and actuation concept to visual environment perception.