Development of interchangeable multi-degree-of-freedom surgical tools for surgery support manipulators

摘要

We developed three dof surgical tools that were driven by links, rigid rods and gears, and therefore did not involve any wires. This solves many problems-wire breaks, hysteresis due to sagging wire, and frequent tool maintenance etc.-so it improves controllability of the tools. The tools can also be more easily detached from manipulators. As a result, it becomes easy to exchange for various kinds of the tools, and to sterilize them. Using the master-slave manipulator system with the tools, we evaluated its manipulability. We could perform each primitive motion of suturing task for training material that mimicked human organ.