Cardiolock2: Parallel singularities for the design of an active heart stabilizer

In this paper, the design of a new active cardiac stabilizer, Cardiolock2, is presented. Following the proof of concept Cardiolock [7], this device allows an active stabilization of the surface of a beating heart in two directions, which is considered sufficient for a complete stabilization. Piezoelectric actuation is combined with a compliant architecture to obtain high dynamics and accuracy. A remote center of motion is obtained with a serial architecture, and parallel mechanisms in configurations close to singularity are used to increase the workspace. A kinematic analysis is first presented, before detailing the main properties of the device and the current development of the prototype.