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. 2023 Oct 6:10:1227708.
doi: 10.3389/frobt.2023.1227708. eCollection 2023.

The MISLI-Drive, a modular sterilizable robotic driver for steerable laparoscopic instruments

Tomas Lenssen  1 , Radu Bîrjac  1 , Jenny Dankelman  1 , Tim Horeman  1
Affiliations

The MISLI-Drive, a modular sterilizable robotic driver for steerable laparoscopic instruments

Tomas Lenssen et al. Front Robot AI. .

Abstract

Introduction: Based on the success of the former "Shaft-Actuated, Tip-Articulated" SATA-Drive, a prototype robotic instrument driver for modular, steerable, laparoscopic instruments, a new driver is designed and tested to improve previously lacking features concerning cleanability, instrument adaptation, practical application and control. The design of the driver engages these issues with a modular design aimed at re-use of both the instrument and the driver, for which a set of design requirements are established. Methods: A new modular design has been developed to improve cleanability through separation of the electro-motors and the instrument mechanism which clutches the instrument. Contamination of the driver's robotic side is prevented though a combination of a drape and a Sterile barrier interface, while the instrument side is made sterilizable. A novel instrument clutching mechanism enables quick-release features, while a motor-axis latching mechanism enables plug-and-play assembly. Embedded sensors allow precise and fast control. A user-experiment was conducted on instrument exchange and assembly time, while mechanical and electrical tests were conducted on the driver's responsiveness. Results: The driver has proven its ability to control the instrument, after which it can be disassembled for cleaning and inspection. The driver is designed for re-use through disassembled sterilization where all possibly contaminated surfaces are exposable for cleaning and inspection. The new standardized instrument clutches allow easy instrument (dis-)assembly. Instrument exchange is possible in two methods, the fastest of which is a median of 11 (6.3-14.6) seconds. The driver's instrument mechanism is separated in a median of 3.7 (1.8-8.1) seconds. After assembly, the driver is operational in less than 2 s. Discussion: Instrument exchange times are similar to the semi-reusable Da Vinci systems, yet the MISLI-Drive is designed for sterilization, inspection and continual re-use. The modular build of the driver also allows easier parts replacement during maintenance, and requires minimal adaptation to different future scenarios, which is expected to reduce the overall cost of use.

Keywords: RAS; instrument driver; laparoscopy; reusable; robotic surgery; sustainable.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The hand-held SATA-LRS with double articulated end-effector.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The SATA-Drive prototype with exposed coupling without instrument.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
A schematic overview of the driver components separated into the 3 sub-systems: the Motor Unit (MU), Sterile Barrier Interface (SBI) and Instrument Mechanism (IM).
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
(A): A schematic working principle of two Shaft-Key-Connection (SKC) each holding a shaft. (A1&2) a double instrument shaft, (B1) a key in the open position, (B2) a key in the locked position, and (C) a turnable chassis with a geared exterior. (B): A schematic example of the Hex-Key (HK) self-latching systems.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
(A) The assembled MISLI-Drive with its parts annotated (B) The MISLI-Drive separated in its sub-systems (C) The MISLI-Drive with separated IM containing the instrument.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Boxplots of the time required to latch for each axis with a dotted line indicating the time requirement.
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
Boxplots of the time required for each part of the dis- and reassembly of the device including lines indicating the design goals (Table 2).
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 8
Boxplots of the time required for different methods of instrument exchange, including a dotted line indicating the time requirements.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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