C. Vaida

Singularities and workspace analysis for a parallel robot for minimally invasive surgery

The paper presents the singularity and workspace analysis of PARAMIS — the first parallel robot, for camera guidance in minimally invasive surgical procedures developed in Romania. The graphical workspace is achieved through a series of geometric constructions in modeling software. The analytical workspace is achieved through a simple method based on the geometric model of the robot. The paper will demonstrate that the use of a simple structure with the minimum number of degrees of freedom required by the application provides the necessary workspace without singularity points. Results and conclusions from the first experimental procedures are presented.

Structural Analysis and Synthesis of Parallel Robots for Brachytherapy

Cancer represents one of the main causes of death nowadays, due to a complex set of uncontrollable natural and artificial factors. Huge efforts have been made by the entire scientific community to provide better cancer treatment solutions, all aiming to improve survival and life expectancy. An innovative option in the fight against cancer is brachytherapy (BT), called also internal radiation. BT enables to deliver higher doses of radiation to more-specific areas of the body, compared with the conventional form of radiation therapy that projects radiation from a machine outside the body. The paper presents the structural synthesis of suitable innovative parallel robots used in brachytherapy.

Development of a Control System for a Parallel Robot Used in Minimally Invasive Surgery

For the use of robotic systems in applications like minimally invasive surgical procedures, adequate control is necessary. Because of the direct interaction with the patient, safety is a critical aspect in robot control. This paper presents a simple and robust, open-architecture control system for an innovative parallel robot designed for the positioning of the laparoscopic instrument in minimally invasive surgery. The use of intelligent actuators, modular programming and CANOpen data transmission protocol, enabled the development of a simple, compact and fast control system that can be extended for the command of multiple robotic arms. The developed user interface with the specific commands used during the surgical procedures and the experimental model of the parallel robot are presented.

Kinematical Analysis and Design of a New Surgical Parallel Robot

Robots in surgery are used because of their superior advantages: improved accuracy, tremor elimination etc, which exceeds human capabilities. Unlike serial robots, parallel robots offer higher stiffness, reduced masses in motion, higher rigidity, all of these leading more precise manipulations that fit medical applications. In this paper, a new innovative parallel structure for laparoscopy is presented. It is studied the forward and inverse kinematics, the singularities, it is generated the workspace and are presented some simulation results.

Development of a Voice Controlled Surgical Robot

In the paper the first developed voice-controlled parallel robot PARAMIS (PARAllel robot for Minimally Invasive Surgery) in Romania, used for laparoscope camera positioning in the minimally invasive surgery, is presented. The development of the structure focused on the achievement of a simple, lightweight, cheap solution, able to work alone or as part of a multiarm robotic system. The adopted solution for the voice commands interface is presented. Some experimental results are illustrated pointing out the behavior of the robot in a surgical procedure.

Kinematics and Design of a 5-DOF Parallel Robot Used in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Robotic assisted surgery is a continuously developing field, as robots have proved their utility in the operating rooms. Some of their advantages could be summed as follows: increased precision, the possibility of reaching positions and places that could prove difficulty in reaching using classical instruments, the replacement of medical personnel in the operating room, allowing for more space and cost saving etc. Until now, the vast majority of robots used in surgery, had serial structures. A new parallel hybrid architecture is proposed in this paper, the kinematics of this new structure is determined, the singularities are discussed and the design of the robot is presented.

An Innovative Family of Modular Parallel Robots for Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy (BT) is an advanced form of radiation therapy enabling the concentration of high doses in specific target points, enabling the direct treatment of tumors without damaging the proximal healthy tissues. BT usage is limited by the insufficient accuracy of radioactive seeds placement in the body. For this purpose, the paper presents an innovative family of modular parallel robots designed specifically to overcome the limitations of current BT procedures. The robotic structures employ two distinct modules in conjunction, which result in a reduced number of moving parts and removal of unwanted motions.

Optimal Planning of Needle Insertion for Robotic-Assisted Prostate Biopsy

Robotic systems used for prostate biopsy offer important advantages compared to the manual procedures. In the robotic assisted prostate biopsy procedure, an important problem is to identify the optimal needle trajectories that allow reaching the target tissue and avoiding vital anatomical organs (major blood vessels, internal organs etc.). The paper presents an algorithm for optimal planning of the biopsy needle trajectories, based on virtual reality technologies, using as case study a novel parallel robot designed for transperineal prostate biopsy. The developed algorithm has been tested in a virtual environment for the prostate biopsy robotic-assisted procedure and results are presented.

Design of a Needle Insertion Module for Robotic Assisted Transperineal Prostate Biopsy

The paper presents the design of a needle insertion module for robotic assisted transperineal prostate biopsy, using a commercially available biopsy gun. The module is designed to be used as an end-effector for different robotic systems suitable for this medical task. The geometric and kinematic parameters of the insertion module are presented in correlation with a set of experimental data that supplied critical inputs for the solution development.

Workspace and Singularities Analysis of a 6-DOF Parallel Mechanism with Two Kinematic Chains for Platform Guidance

The aim of this paper is to present the workspace and singularity analysis of a parallel structure that can be used for complex operations such as micro-assembly, electronic circuit testing or for industrial laser cutting or manufacturing. Starting from the inverse geometrical model of the robot, its analytical workspace is determined. A brief look at different types of singularity points is presented. Conclusions and references are presented at the end of the paper.