Design of a piezoelectric inchworm actuator and compliant end effector for minimally invasive surgery

Shawn Canfield; Ben Edinger; Mary I. Frecker; Gary H. Koopmann

doi:10.1117/12.350759

9 June 1999 Design of a piezoelectric inchworm actuator and compliant end effector for minimally invasive surgery

Shawn Canfield, Ben Edinger, Mary I. Frecker, Gary H. Koopmann

Proceedings Volume 3668, Smart Structures and Materials 1999: Smart Structures and Integrated Systems; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.350759
Event: 1999 Symposium on Smart Structures and Materials, 1999, Newport Beach, CA, United States

Abstract

Recent advances in robotics, tele-robotics, smart material actuators, and mechatronics raise new possibilities for innovative developments in millimeter-scale robotics capable of manipulating objects only fractions of a millimeter in size. These advances can have a wide range of applications in the biomedical community. A potential application of this technology is in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The focus of this paper is the development of a single degree of freedom prototype to demonstrate the viability of smart materials, force feedback and compliant mechanisms for minimally invasive surgery. The prototype is a compliant gripper that is 7-mm by 17-mm, made from a single piece of titanium that is designed to function as a needle driver for small scale suturing. A custom designed piezoelectric `inchworm' actuator drives the gripper. The integrated system is computer controlled providing a user interface device capable of force feedback. The design methodology described draws from recent advances in three emerging fields in engineering: design of innovative tools for MIS, design of compliant mechanisms, and design of smart materials and actuators. The focus of this paper is on the design of a millimeter-scale inchworm actuator for use with a compliant end effector in MIS.

Citation Download Citation

Shawn Canfield, Ben Edinger, Mary I. Frecker, and Gary H. Koopmann "Design of a piezoelectric inchworm actuator and compliant end effector for minimally invasive surgery", Proc. SPIE 3668, Smart Structures and Materials 1999: Smart Structures and Integrated Systems, (9 June 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.350759

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