Locally operated guiding tool manipulator for accurate surgery

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K04065
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 20020:Robotics and intelligent system-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: KAWAI Toshikazu 大阪工業大学, ロボティクス&デザイン工学部, 教授 (90460766)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 西川 敦 大阪大学, 基礎工学研究科, 教授 (20283731) ; 西澤 祐吏 国立研究開発法人国立がん研究センター, 東病院, 室長 (50545001) ; 中村 達雄 京都大学, 医学研究科, 客員研究員 (70227908)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 手術支援ロボット / 鉗子マニピュレータ / 機構 / ローカル操作

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A new locally operated tool manipulator as the forceps robot that can be used by a surgeon as a third arm during laparoscopic surgery have been proposed. A wire-driven manipulator with two circular ring guided rails and a linear guide roller was developed. And, a manipulator with closed loop mechanism using gimbal-mounted parallel linkage and a wire driven linear slider was developed. The positional accuracy and the mechanical deflection of the manipulator were majored. Simulated laparoscopic cholecystectomy using the prototype was performed on a surgically realistic gall bladder model. It was confirmed that the organ model could be pulled in various directions using the forceps attached to the manipulator manually and driven by the motors. For controlling the manipulator, image processing methods based on mathematical information to detect mist generated during dissection, tip of the forceps, and to segment a surgical scene into the organ, the fat, and the tool were constructed.

Free Research Field

医療ロボティクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

医師と患者とロボットが共存協調できるロボット工学設計論が問われている．ヒトと共存し協調するマニピュレータの機構や制御に関する基盤技術の構築を医工連携研究で推進した．本研究で提案している機構や操作インタフェースを備える，とくに単体で臓器を把持して牽引する術具マニピュレータの研究は国内外になく，小型分散の手術支援ローカル操作ロボットを実現する上で必要不可欠な研究である．
本技術を確立することで，執刀医の負担が少なく安全な微細手術を支援する補助ツールとしてのロボットを内外に先駆けて提供できると考える．さらには，手術スタッフの省力化や医療費の低減，感染症対策が期待できる．