Design and Development of Prototype for Surgical Robot

Project Title

Design and Development of Prototype for Surgical Robot

Project Area of Specialization RoboticsProject Summary

More and more patients are adopting minimally invasive surgery (MIS), because this technique allows surgeons to insert thin instruments and an endoscope into patient’s body through small incisions. One of the advance state of MIS is Robot assisted surgery that allows the surgeon to conduct minimally invasive surgery with increased accuracy and potential benefits for patients. It provides extra degrees of freedom and high precision compared to a human hand. Patients experience less pain, smaller trauma, and recover more quickly. That is why it is taking over the traditional open surgery, which lacks such capabilities. Our project will design and develop a prototype for surgical robot, which will be able to perform a basic function involve in every surgery i.e. suturing. The mechanical design of the system will consist of two workstations the Main console and Robotic manipulators. Main console will be a workstation from where the surgeon controls the robotic arms and surgical tools. It will comprise of joystick as an input device and a display screen with a camera at the other end for visualization aid. Whereas, Robotic manipulators will comprise of two independent robotic arm frames, equipped with surgical instruments suitable for suturing. Each robotic arm, will receive commands from the main console to actuate active joints and instrument. This will be a two-way communication pathway allowing a controlled response. Servomotors will drive each active joint and imitate the movement signals send by surgeon while the encoders will feedback the position information. A Main controller will control these two workstations, which is an integral part of the system that links the input signal provided by the surgeon to the robotic manipulators for the actuation of the suturing task. The final prototype will be able to perform suturing which is a basic function involve in every surgical procedure.

Project Objectives

To design and develop a prototype of surgical robot that will provide various advantages, such as improved precision and dexterity, over conventional surgical procedures. Robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RMIS) holds great promise for improving the accuracy and dexterity of a surgeon and minimize trauma for the patient. Control system architectures will be design, based on versatile performance criteria. The system will mainly composed of two parts, i.e. a main console, a robotic console and a 3D image display system. The 3D display system will transmits the images of surgical scene to the 3D displayer, according to which the operator beside the console will manipulate the master hands to control the robotic arms. The main console will consist of an input device i.e. joystick which will control the robotic manipulators. The left and right manipulators will be equipped with surgical instruments, whereas another frame will hold the endoscope, which will be able to provide real 3D images of the operation area. Surgical instruments at the end of robotic arm frames will have degrees of freedom, which will improve the operating flexibility and the capability of optimizing performance criterion. In addition, the 3D display system will transmits the images of surgical scene to the 3D displayer, according to which the operator beside the console will manipulate the input device (joystick) to control the robotic manipulators.

Project Implementation Method

• Detailed literature review to gain knowledge about the project implementation techniques.
• Designing methodology according to our selected surgical task i.e. suturing.
• Hardware acquisition.
• Designing mechanical structure of robotic manipulators according to degree of freedom, which we require.
• Simulation system for minimally invasive surgical robot
• Software architecture and its implementation.
• Designing and development of control system architecture using servomotors and motor drivers.
• Hardware system development, which includes the main console and the robotic manipulators (final prototype).
• Testing of final prototype.
• Result formulation.
• Compilation and Final write-up.

Benefits of the Project

Surgeons as well as the patients’ both gets benefits from the surgical robot. Robotic surgery aids a surgeon with enhanced precision, flexibility, control and vision. It also allows the surgeon to perform very delicate or complex surgical procedures that may have been very difficult or even impossible without the help of the robot. Whereas patients experience, less pain, smaller trauma, and recover more quickly from a robotic surgery than the tradional open surgery as robotic surgery allows surgeons to perform complex surgical tasks through tiny incisions. Thus, surgical robots are self-powered, computer-controlled devices that can be program to aid in the positioning and manipulation of surgical instruments to form various surgical procedures.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

The final prototype of the project will consist of the surgical robot with its control system. It will have the capability to perform suturing which is a basic function involve in every surgical procedure. An input device (Joystick) will operate the surgical robot. Using this input device, surgeon can remotely move the robotic arms equipped with surgical instruments. This is controlled by a main controller that links the input signal provided by the surgeon to the robotic manipulators for the actuation of suturing task.  An endoscope will provide visual information about the surgical site through which a surgeon will be able to operate the robotic manipulators.

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemType of Industry Medical Technologies RoboticsSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for People, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	79800
Robotic arm frames	Equipment	2	7500	15000
Endoscopic camera	Equipment	1	2500	2500
Micro-controller	Equipment	1	5000	5000
Servo motor	Equipment	6	1200	7200
Motor Driver	Equipment	1	8000	8000
Rotary Encoder Module Sensor	Equipment	6	850	5100
Suturing instruments	Equipment	1	2000	2000
Alligator Grasper	Equipment	1	15000	15000
Joy stick	Equipment	2	5000	10000
Stationary and printouts	Miscellaneous	1	4000	4000
Others	Miscellaneous	1	6000	6000