Development of a prototype of a stiffness changeable gripper by Jamming transition for a CT-guided needle insertion robot

Abstract

In Recent years, CT-guided Interventional Radiology (IVR), which is a mininmal invasive medical procedure, attracts attention. A surgeon observes the perspective CT image and inserts a needle to patient. On the other hand, IVR has a problem that surgeons are exposed to radiation since they operate it close to a CT device. Therefore, we are developing a robot that performs needle inserting by remote control. Current needle holder unit for a CT-guided needle insertion robot has a risk that it might hurt a patient since a needle is always held firmly. To solve this problem, we propose a stiffness changeable gripper by jamming transition. In this paper, we describe a design and prototype of a stiffness changeable gripper to reduce the risk to patients.