1P1-C14 Assemblable Three Fingered Five-DOF Hand for Laparoscopic Surgery (2nd report) : Improvement of the finger mechanism and evaluation in In Vivo experiment

Abstract

In laparoscopic surgery, surgeons often make a 7-8 cm incision through which traditional instruments for abdominal surgery and their hands directly when it is difficult to perform surgery by using only slender instruments for laparoscopic surgery. We have developed an assemblable three fingered five-DOF hand like a human hand that can be inserted through trocars. This paper describes an improved finger mechanism and its evaluation in In Vivo experiment. The middle finger and the forefinger have interlocking joint mechanisms in which the two joints of each finger equally or proportionally rotate. The base joint of the thumb adopts a locking mechanism. Experimental results verify that the hand can grasp and open internal organs.