Shuo-Suei Hung1,2, Alex Shao-Feng Hsu3, Tsung-Han Ho3, Chau-Hwa Chi4, Ping-Lang Yen3. 1. Department of Orthopedics, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City, Taiwan. 2. School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan. 3. Department of Biomechatronics Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. 4. Institute of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Handheld surgical robots offer functionalities, such as active guidance, tremor suppression and force reflection, for surgeons to enhance their skill in manipulating surgical tools during medical intervention. In orthopaedic surgery, the robot additionally has to offer sufficient rigidity and power for bone machining. The size and weight of the mechanical design, together with the control behaviour associated with involuntary hand motion, navigation and reflected force to the human, all influence the overall performance of an orthopaedic handheld robot. METHODS: The paper proposes a miniature and compact design for an embedded robot, which is a similar weight as a handpiece. Then, a shared controller is proposed to address the coupling among involuntary and voluntary hand motions, robot navigation, tool feedback forces and force artefacts from actuation. RESULTS: The handheld robot is able to stabilize the drill positioning by removing involuntary tremors as well as reduce force artefacts from motor actuation in experiments involving pedicle tunnelling on a porcine spine. CONCLUSION: The paper has successfully realized a compact handheld orthopaedic robot which provides high performance of usability, tremor suppression and force reflection for bone drilling.
BACKGROUND: Handheld surgical robots offer functionalities, such as active guidance, tremor suppression and force reflection, for surgeons to enhance their skill in manipulating surgical tools during medical intervention. In orthopaedic surgery, the robot additionally has to offer sufficient rigidity and power for bone machining. The size and weight of the mechanical design, together with the control behaviour associated with involuntary hand motion, navigation and reflected force to the human, all influence the overall performance of an orthopaedic handheld robot. METHODS: The paper proposes a miniature and compact design for an embedded robot, which is a similar weight as a handpiece. Then, a shared controller is proposed to address the coupling among involuntary and voluntary hand motions, robot navigation, tool feedback forces and force artefacts from actuation. RESULTS: The handheld robot is able to stabilize the drill positioning by removing involuntary tremors as well as reduce force artefacts from motor actuation in experiments involving pedicle tunnelling on a porcine spine. CONCLUSION: The paper has successfully realized a compact handheld orthopaedic robot which provides high performance of usability, tremor suppression and force reflection for bone drilling.