Fiber-based robot delivers precise control for minimally invasive surgery
Selectively Actuated Fiberbots for High-precision Minimally Invasive Surgery
Robotics
Summary
Minimally invasive surgery uses long, thin tools, but it's hard to control their tips very precisely. The authors created a tiny robot built into a fiber that heats up only near the tip to move very accurately. This robotic fiber is thin enough to fit inside an endoscope without interfering with its motion. The authors showed it can control surgical laser tools with very fine precision, which could help surgeons perform delicate operations.
What this means in practice
- •For surgical device developers: Integrate a thin robotic fiber actuator with endoscopes to enable precise control of surgical tools inside the body during minimally invasive procedures.$Commercial implications: Enables development of new surgical instruments that combine robotic fiber control with existing endoscope platforms to improve precision in clinical settings.
- •For medical robotics engineers: Design new robotic platforms for minimally invasive surgery that use electrothermally actuated fibers for high-precision manipulation of surgical instruments.
Authors
Jinshi Zhao, Libaihe Tian, Alex Ranne, Qindong Zheng, Yue Li, Xiaotong Guo, Ziqi Yang, Ali Anil Demircali, Mohamed E. M. K. Abdelaziz, Bruno Gil Rosa, Ferdinando Rodriguez y Baena, Burak Temelkuran
Abstract
Long, slender instruments are essential for minimally invasive surgery (MIS), but achieving precise distal manipulation becomes increasingly difficult when actuation extends along the entire instrument. Here, we present an electrothermally actuated fiber-based robot designed for MIS procedures, in which Joule heating is concentrated in the distal active segment. The fiber is fabricated using a thermal drawing process and uses embedded metallic wires for thermal actuation. This robotic fiber, 1.9 mm in diameter and 1.2 m in length, can precisely manipulate surgical laser fibers with positional precision below 100 $μ$m. The compact size of the fiber robot allows it to pass through the working channel of a flexible endoscope, while keeping both devices mechanically uncoupled to allow independent motion. A phantom demonstration combining the robotic fiber with a da Vinci instrument conceptually demonstrated its compatibility with existing endoscopic systems for clinical applications. Our robotic fiber enables precise distal motion and holds the potential to improve clinical outcomes by enhancing precision in MIS procedures.