Medical Manipulator With Nested Rigid Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional minimally invasive surgical procedures require multiple incisions in the abdominal wall, limiting the number of instruments that can be used due to rigid and inflexible treatment instruments, which complicates procedures and increases invasiveness.
Innovation Solution
A medical manipulator system with rigid, tubular arms and a distal end portion that includes a photographic device, allowing for flexible insertion through a natural orifice or a single incision, with bending capabilities and a treatment instrument channel, enabling multiple instruments to be used without interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple rigid treatment instruments are inserted through multiple incisions, then the number of instruments that can be used increases, but the invasiveness of the procedure increases and the complexity of the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple treatment instruments are inserted through a single manipulator system. The manipulator includes an insertion portion with multiple channels, and each channel can receive a treatment instrument. The arm portions with bending capabilities allow the instruments to be positioned at the distal end while maintaining access through a single incision site, effectively nesting multiple instruments within one access point.
Solution Approach 2:
The manipulator system is divided into separate functional components: an insertion portion with multiple channels, arm portions with bending mechanisms, and a distal end portion. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while working together as an integrated system, enabling multiple instruments to be used through a single incision without increasing overall invasiveness.
2Strength
If rigid treatment instruments are used through multiple incisions, then the structural strength is maintained, but the flexibility and ease of operation decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The arm portions of the manipulator incorporate bending mechanisms that allow dynamic adjustment of the instrument trajectory. The bending portions can be actuated to change the angle and direction of the arm portions, providing flexibility in positioning the distal end while maintaining the structural integrity of the rigid treatment instruments themselves. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to different anatomical configurations without compromising instrument strength.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a flexible endoscope is used for insertion, then the number of incisions is reduced, but the ability to perform procedures requiring significant force is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator system combines flexible and rigid components in a composite structure. The insertion portion and arm portions can be made of flexible materials that allow bending and navigation through natural orifices with minimal incisions. However, the treatment instruments themselves remain rigid to maintain the force capability needed for surgical procedures. This composite approach allows the system to achieve both flexibility for access and rigidity for force application.
Data Source
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AI summary
A medical manipulator (1) which includes: a plurality of arms (10,11) formed in a cylindrical shape a distal end portion (3) of which is made of a rigid member having a bending portion (10A,11A) capable of bending; an insertion portion (2) made of a rigid member having a plurality of channels in which base ends of the plurality of arms are connected to a distal end of the insertion portion so as to connect lumens of the arms to the plurality of channels; a photographic device (5) provided at the distal end of the insertion portion; an operation portion (14A,15A) that operates the bending portion; and a transmission member (30) that connects the bending portion and the operation portion, in which the bending portion has: a first bending portion that is capable of bending in a predetermined direction by an operation of the operation portion, and a second bending portion provided in a base end than the first bending portion that is capable of fixing the plurality of arms in a bent state so as to mutually separate, and the transmission portion has: a first region (30A) which is flexible, and a second region (30B) which is rigid and connected to a base end portion of the first region.