Design and fabrication of a disposable micro end effector for concentric tube robots

Conventional concentric tube robots (CTRs) have low dexterity at the tip, which does not fit the requirements of complicated operations in minimally invasive surgery. A 2mm diameter cable-driven micro end effector is designed and fabricated for CTRs to increase dexterity in confined spaces. The end-effector is made by a simple fabrication procedure and is a combination of readily available materials such as polyolefin tube, acrylic and steel strings. If mass produced, the end effector has the potential to be made into a single use disposable medical tool. This paper discusses the geometric design, fabrication process and force analysis of the end effector. Experiments are conducted on the prototype to validate the derivation. In addition, cases are discussed around the use of the end effector.