内視鏡や針に利用可能な弾性アームに基づく屈曲・伸展機構

抄録

To steer a needle around delicate or bony structures during needle insertion for targeting tumor in minimally invasive surgery, we proposed a novel continuum mechanism named “Active Sheath” and applied the mechanism to develop a novel steerable needle. The kinematics of the proposed mechanism was presented based on the deformed shapes simulated numerically using finite element methods to predict the steered shape of Active Sheath promptly. The developed steerable needle with 3 mm outer diameter inserted into the 1% agar phantom could be deflected from −40 to 40 degrees and the shape was confirmed through a diagnostic ultrasound imaging system. The Active Sheath mechanism has the potential to steer a flexible tube with small outer diameter including needles in tissues and endoscopes by using the simple flexible loop structure.