In minimally invasive surgery (MIS), surgeons often suffer from occlusion region problems. It is difficult to solve these problems with traditional surgical instruments because of their size and rigid mechanical structure, such as endoscopes and corresponding operating tools. Thus, flexible manipulators and related robotic systems have been proposed for enhancing intraoperative inspection and surgical operation in MIS. Although a variety of flexible manipulators using different mechanisms have been developed, most of them are designed with a single function. In this paper, we present the concept of visible forceps that enriches the forceps function, which realizes the flexible bending capability and high output force, as well as the integrated endoscopic function. We developed a novel simplified linkage bending mechanism for forceps with a bendable tip and fabricated a robotic visible forceps manipulator system. According to this prototype, we performed experiments to evaluate the mechanical performance and the abdominal phantom test to evaluate the feasibility and usefulness. Preliminary results show that the forceps manipulator can realize both flexible bending capability and high output force, which implies promising applications in future MIS.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
February 2019
Research-Article
Robotic Visible Forceps Manipulator With a Novel Linkage Bending Mechanism
Boyu Zhang,
Boyu Zhang
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: zhangby14@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: zhangby14@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Zhuxiu Liao,
Zhuxiu Liao
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: liaozx16@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: liaozx16@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Penghui Yang,
Penghui Yang
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: yph17@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: yph17@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Hongen Liao
Hongen Liao
Mem. ASME
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: liao@tsinghua.edu.cn
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: liao@tsinghua.edu.cn
Search for other works by this author on:
Boyu Zhang
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: zhangby14@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: zhangby14@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
Zhuxiu Liao
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: liaozx16@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: liaozx16@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
Penghui Yang
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: yph17@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: yph17@mails.tsinghua.edu.cn
Hongen Liao
Mem. ASME
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: liao@tsinghua.edu.cn
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
School of Medicine,
Tsinghua University,
Beijing 100084, China
e-mail: liao@tsinghua.edu.cn
1Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Mechanisms and Robotics Committee of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF MECHANISMS AND ROBOTICS. Manuscript received February 28, 2018; final manuscript received October 30, 2018; published online December 10, 2018. Assoc. Editor: Clement Gosselin.
J. Mechanisms Robotics. Feb 2019, 11(1): 011012 (9 pages)
Published Online: December 10, 2018
Article history
Received:
February 28, 2018
Revised:
October 30, 2018
Citation
Zhang, B., Liao, Z., Yang, P., and Liao, H. (December 10, 2018). "Robotic Visible Forceps Manipulator With a Novel Linkage Bending Mechanism." ASME. J. Mechanisms Robotics. February 2019; 11(1): 011012. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4041941
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
Analysis of Force Distribution and Motion Characteristic of Hybrid-Driven Tensegrity Parallel Mechanism
J. Mechanisms Robotics (May 2025)
Modeling and Analysis of Inter-Panel Slipping for the Design of Rolled Gossamer Arrays
J. Mechanisms Robotics (April 2025)
Origami-Inspired Collapsible Structures for Small Rotorcraft Collision Resilience and Landing
J. Mechanisms Robotics (April 2025)
Designing Multi-axis Compliant Mechanisms With Lockable Decoupled Inputs: A Tip–Tilt Case Study
J. Mechanisms Robotics (April 2025)
Related Articles
Articulated Manipulator With Multiple Instruments for Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery
J. Med. Devices (December,2013)
An Articulating Tool for Endoscopic Screw Delivery
J. Med. Devices (June,2010)
Integrating Physicians, Researchers and Engineers— 60 Years of Medical Device Innovation at Mayo Clinic
J. Med. Devices (June,2008)
Design of a Compliant Endoscopic Suturing Instrument
J. Med. Devices (June,2008)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Feedback-Aided Minimum Joint Motion
Robot Manipulator Redundancy Resolution
Self-Motion Planning with ZIV Constraint
Robot Manipulator Redundancy Resolution
Manipulability-Maximizing SMP Scheme
Robot Manipulator Redundancy Resolution