A Transendoscopic Telerobotic System Using Heterogeneous Flexible Manipulators for Bimanual Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection
Huxin Gao, Xiaoxiao Yang, Tao ZHANG, Xiao Xiao, Changsheng Li, Max Q.-H. Meng, Xiuli Zuo, Yanqing Li, Hongliang Ren
AI summary
Problem
Traditional endoscopic submucosal dissection relies heavily on surgeon skill and lacks intuitive tools that can simultaneously meet conflicting mechanical requirements like stiffness, dexterity, and precision. Existing single-structure robotic instruments struggle to optimize these properties for both tissue traction and precise cutting.
Approach
The authors developed a transendoscopic telerobotic system that integrates two heterogeneous flexible manipulators: a serial articulated manipulator (SAM) for multidirectional tissue traction and a parallel-continuum wrist (PCW) for high-accuracy tissue dissection, both miniaturized to fit through standard dual-channel endoscopes.
Key results
- First heterogeneous flexible manipulator system designed for bimanual ESD
- SAM achieves higher stiffness and dexterity for stable tissue traction
- PCW delivers superior motion accuracy for safe submucosal dissection
- System successfully validated through 16 ex vivo tests across tiered difficulty levels
Why it matters
Offers a practical, structure-optimized robotic framework that could make complex gastrointestinal cancer resections safer, more accessible, and less dependent on highly specialized manual skills.
Abstract
No abstract on file.