A compact continuum manipulator system with enhanced steering abilities for robot-assisted surgery

Medical robotics plays an increasingly important role in minimally invasively surgery (MIS), where access is usually through a small incision on the body. This paper introduces the conceptual design of a compact MIS robot that integrates a continuum manipulator with remote center-of-motion (RCM) mechanism. This robotic system allows surgical instruments to enhance the dexterity inside the patient's body - a desirable feature in MIS and potentially improving the safety. We derive the integrated kinematics of the entire system, describing both positions and orientations of the end-effector in the global coordinate system. Simulations are conducted in MATLAB to analyze the reachable workspace of the entire system and its separate subsystems. The comparisons highlight the “dexterous operation area” of the proposed system and its ability of local orientation adjustment. Finally, an overview of preliminary tests with a 3D-printed prototype validating the design is given.