This work presents a novel miniature contact-aided compliant joint mechanism that can be integrated into millimeter-sized manual or robotic surgical instruments. The design aims to address the trade-off between notched-tube compliant joints' range of motion and stiffness, while also ensuring a compact form factor. The mechanism is constructed from a nitinol tube with asymmetric cutouts and is actuated in bending by a cable. The innovative feature of this design is the incorporation of a contact aid into the notched-tube topology, which acts to both increase the stiffness of the joint and change the shape that it undertakes during bending. Using finite element modeling (FEM) techniques, we present a sensitivity analysis investigating how the performance of this contact-aided compliant mechanism (CCM) is affected by its geometry, and derive a kinematics and statics model for the joint. The FEM simulations and the kinematic and static models are compared to experimental results. The design and modeling presented in this study can be used to develop new miniature dexterous instruments, with a particular emphasis on applications in minimally invasive neurosurgery.
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February 2018
Design Innovation Paper
Design of a Contact-Aided Compliant Notched-Tube Joint for Surgical Manipulation in Confined Workspaces
Kyle W. Eastwood,
Kyle W. Eastwood
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: kyle.eastwood@mail.utoronto.ca
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: kyle.eastwood@mail.utoronto.ca
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Peter Francis,
Peter Francis
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: p.francis@mail.utoronto.ca
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: p.francis@mail.utoronto.ca
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Hamidreza Azimian,
Hamidreza Azimian
Senior Robotics Researcher,
Epson Canada Ltd.,
185 Renfrew Drive,
Markham, ON L3R 6G3, Canada
e-mail: hamidreza.azimian@ea.epson.com
Epson Canada Ltd.,
185 Renfrew Drive,
Markham, ON L3R 6G3, Canada
e-mail: hamidreza.azimian@ea.epson.com
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Arushri Swarup,
Arushri Swarup
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: arushri.swarup@mail.utoronto.ca
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: arushri.swarup@mail.utoronto.ca
Search for other works by this author on:
Thomas Looi,
Thomas Looi
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: thomas.looi@sickids.ca
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: thomas.looi@sickids.ca
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James M. Drake,
James M. Drake
Division of Neurosurgery,
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: james.drake@sickkids.ca
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: james.drake@sickkids.ca
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Hani E. Naguib
Hani E. Naguib
Smart and Adaptive Polymers Laboratory (SAPL),
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering,
University of Toronto,
5 King's College Road,
Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
e-mail: naguib@mie.utoronto.ca
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering,
University of Toronto,
5 King's College Road,
Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
e-mail: naguib@mie.utoronto.ca
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Kyle W. Eastwood
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: kyle.eastwood@mail.utoronto.ca
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: kyle.eastwood@mail.utoronto.ca
Peter Francis
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: p.francis@mail.utoronto.ca
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: p.francis@mail.utoronto.ca
Hamidreza Azimian
Senior Robotics Researcher,
Epson Canada Ltd.,
185 Renfrew Drive,
Markham, ON L3R 6G3, Canada
e-mail: hamidreza.azimian@ea.epson.com
Epson Canada Ltd.,
185 Renfrew Drive,
Markham, ON L3R 6G3, Canada
e-mail: hamidreza.azimian@ea.epson.com
Arushri Swarup
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: arushri.swarup@mail.utoronto.ca
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: arushri.swarup@mail.utoronto.ca
Thomas Looi
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: thomas.looi@sickids.ca
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: thomas.looi@sickids.ca
James M. Drake
Division of Neurosurgery,
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: james.drake@sickkids.ca
Center for Image Guided Innovation and
Therapeutic Intervention (CIGITI),
The Hospital for Sick Children,
555 University Avenue,
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
e-mail: james.drake@sickkids.ca
Hani E. Naguib
Smart and Adaptive Polymers Laboratory (SAPL),
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering,
University of Toronto,
5 King's College Road,
Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
e-mail: naguib@mie.utoronto.ca
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering,
University of Toronto,
5 King's College Road,
Toronto, ON M5S 3G8, Canada
e-mail: naguib@mie.utoronto.ca
1Corresponding author.
Manuscript received May 18, 2017; final manuscript received September 27, 2017; published online December 20, 2017. Assoc. Editor: Robert J. Wood.
J. Mechanisms Robotics. Feb 2018, 10(1): 015001 (12 pages)
Published Online: December 20, 2017
Article history
Received:
May 18, 2017
Revised:
September 27, 2017
Citation
Eastwood, K. W., Francis, P., Azimian, H., Swarup, A., Looi, T., Drake, J. M., and Naguib, H. E. (December 20, 2017). "Design of a Contact-Aided Compliant Notched-Tube Joint for Surgical Manipulation in Confined Workspaces." ASME. J. Mechanisms Robotics. February 2018; 10(1): 015001. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4038254
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