Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Design and kinematics of a tube-shaped multidirectional bending robotic device using slackened SMA wires for transurethral ureterolithotripsy

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The complex and elaborate structure of the urinary system presents surgeons with difficulty in using a ureteroscope with a fixed optical fiber to reach the targeted calculus. To address this challenge, a robotic device is required to control the direction of laser irradiation position independently in ureteroscopes.

Method

A continuum robotic device was designed and fabricated. The device is constructed with three slackened shape memory alloy (SMA) wires to control the laser irradiation position of the optical fiber combined with the view of the camera on the tip of the ureteroscope. Kinematics analysis and experimental evaluation reveal the capability of the device.

Results

The structure of the device is the same as a single-joint continuum robot. This device is unique because of the tiny diameter of 1.1 mm which can be used inside the ureteroscope through a Ø1.2 mm inner channel into the kidney for transurethral ureterolithotripsy. Kinematic analysis revealed the relationship among space coordinates, angles of bending, and direction and SMA wires length. The maximum bending angle was around 25° when the current value was 350 mA on a single SMA wire. The device could achieve multi-directional bending by allocating the values of current on SMA wires, separately.

Conclusion

This device offers a major advancement in small size and dexterity in medical robotics. Combined with a proper control system, this device could simplify the operation and improve the efficiency of the transurethral ureterolithotripsy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Fig. 21

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Edvardsson VO, Indridason OS, Haraldsson G, Kjartansson O, Palsson R (2013) Temporal trends in the incidence of kidney stone disease. Kidney Int 83(1):146–152. https://doi.org/10.1038/ki.2012.320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Oberlin DT, Flum AS, Bachrach L et al (2015) Contemporary surgical trends in the management of upper tract calculi. J Urol 193(3):880–884. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2014.09.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Papatsoris AG, Varkarakis I, Dellis A, Deliveliotis C (2006) Bladder lithiasis: from open surgery to lithotripsy. Urol Res 34(3):163–167. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00240-006-0045-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Kikuchi N, Haga Y, Maeda M, Makishi W, Esashi M (2003) Piezolectric 2D micro scanner for minimally invasive therapy fabricated using femtosecond laser ablation. In TRANSDUCERS'03. 12th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems. Digest of Technical Papers (Cat. No. 03TH8664) (Vol 1, pp 603–606). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/SENSOR.2003.1215545

  5. da Veiga T, Chandler JH, Lloyd P et al (2020) Challenges of continuum robots in clinical context: a review[J]. Prog Biomed Eng 2(3):032003. https://doi.org/10.1088/2516-1091/ab9f41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Burgner-Kahrs J, Rucker DC, Choset H (2015) Continuum robots for medical applications: a survey. IEEE Trans Rob 31(6):1261–1280. https://doi.org/10.1109/TRO.2015.2489500

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Ruiz S, Mead B, Palmre V, Kim KJ, Yim W (2014) A cylindrical ionic polymer-metal composite-based robotic catheter platform: modeling, design and control. Smart Mater Struct 24(1):015007. https://doi.org/10.1088/0964-1726/24/1/015007

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ikuta K, Ichikawa H, Suzuki K (2002) Safety-active catheter with multiple-segments driven by micro-hydraulic actuators. In International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention (pp. 182–191). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45786-0_23

  9. Tang WC, Nguyen TCH, Howe RT (1989) Laterally driven polysilicon resonant microstructures. Sens actuators 20(1–2):25–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/0250-6874(89)87098-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Yang F, Babaiasl M, Swensen JP (2019) Fracture-directed steerable needles. J Med Robot Res 4(01):1842002. https://doi.org/10.1142/S2424905X18420023

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Riojas KE, Hendrick RJ, Webster RJ (2018) Can elastic instability be beneficial in concentric tube robots?[J]. IEEE Robot Automation Lett 3(3):1624–1630. https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2018.2800779

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Oliver-Butler K, Till J, Rucker C (2019) Continuum robot stiffness under external loads and prescribed tendon displacements. IEEE Trans Rob 35(2):403–419. https://doi.org/10.1109/TRO.2018.2885923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Ahmed S, Gilbert HB (2022) Kinestatic modeling of a spatial screw-driven continuum robot. IEEE Robot Automation Lett 7(2):3563–3570. https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2022.3143896

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Makishi W, Matunaga T, Haga Y, Esashi M (2006) Active bending electric endoscope using shape memory alloy coil actuators. In The First IEEE/RAS-EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics. BioRob 2006, pp. 217–219. IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/BIOROB.2006.1639088

  15. Mineta T, Haga Y, Esashi M (2003) Non-planer photo-fabrication of an actuator-unit from a shape memory alloy Pipe. IEE J Trans Sens Micromach 123(5):158–162. https://doi.org/10.1541/ieejsmas.123.158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Motzki P, Khelfa F, Zimmer L, Schmidt M, Seelecke S (2019) Design and validation of a reconfigurable robotic end-effector based on shape memory alloys. IEEE/ASME Trans Mechatron 24(1):293–303. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2019.2891348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kode VRC, Cavusoglu MC (2007) Design and characterization of a novel hybrid actuator using shape memory alloy and dc micromotor for minimally invasive surgery applications. IEEE/ASME Trans Mechatron 12(4):455–464. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2007.901940

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Ikuta K, Tsukamoto M, Hirose S (1988) Shape memory alloy servo actuator system with electric resistance feedback and application for active endoscope. In: Proceedings IEEE International Conference on robotics and automation (pp. 427–430). https://doi.org/10.1109/ROBOT.1988.12085

  19. Kim Y, Desai J P. Design and kinematic analysis of a neurosurgical spring-based continuum robot using SMA spring actuators. 2015 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on intelligent robots and systems (IROS). IEEE, 2015: 1428–1433. https://doi.org/10.1109/IROS.2015.7353555.

  20. Cheng SS, Kim Y, Desai JP (2017) New actuation mechanism for actively cooled SMA springs in a neurosurgical robot. IEEE Trans Rob 33(4):986–993. https://doi.org/10.1109/TRO.2017.2679199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Fried NM, Irby PB (2018) Advances in laser technology and fibre-optic delivery systems in lithotripsy. Nat Rev Urol 15(9):563–573. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRA48506.2021.9561113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Zheng T, Yang Y, Branson DT et al (2014) Control design of shape memory alloy based multi-arm continuum robot inspired by octopus. 9th IEEE Conference on industrial electronics and applications. IEEE, 2014: 1108–1113. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIEA.2014.6931331

  23. Mandolino MA, Goergen Y, Motzki P et al (2022) Design and Characterization of a Fully Integrated Continuum Robot Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy Wires. IEEE 17th International Conference on advanced motion control (AMC). IEEE, 2022: 6–11. https://doi.org/10.1109/AMC51637.2022.9729267

  24. Mc Caffrey C, Umedachi T, Jiang W et al (2020) Continuum robotic caterpillar with wirelessly powered shape memory alloy actuators. Soft Rob 7(6):700–710. https://doi.org/10.1089/soro.2019.0090

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Wang Q, Yan L, Li M et al (2021) Reliability Analysis of Continuum Robot Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy (SMA). 6th International Conference on Automation, control and robotics engineering (CACRE). IEEE, 2021: 97–101. https://doi.org/10.1109/CACRE52464.2021.9501368

  26. Tachioka T, Matsunaga T, Tanahashi Y, Kobayashi T, Haga Y (2018) Bending mechanism using SMA wires for transurethral lithotripsy. IEEJ Trans Sens Micromach 138(2):41–47. https://doi.org/10.1541/ieejsmas.138.41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Al-Qahtani SM, Geavlette BP, de Medina SGD et al (2011) The new Olympus digital flexible ureteroscope (URF-V): initial experience. Urology annals 3(3):133. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-7796.84963

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Standring S (2016) “Ureter”. Gray's anatomy: the anatomical basis of clinical practice (41st ed). Philadelphia. pp 1251–1254

  29. Abelson B, Sun D, Que L et al (2018) Sex differences in lower urinary tract biology and physiology. Biol Sex Differ 9(1):1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13293-018-0204-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Kato T, Okumura I, Kose H et al (2016) Tendon-driven continuum robot for neuroendoscopy: validation of extended kinematic mapping for hysteresis operation. Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg 11(4):589–602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-015-1310-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Jong Yoon W, Velasquez CA, White LW et al (2014) Preliminary articulable probe designs with RAVEN and challenges: image-guided robotic surgery multitool system. J Med Devices. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4025908

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Black KM, Aldoukhi AH, Ghani KR (2019) A users guide to holmium laser lithotripsy settings in the modern era. Front Surg 6:48. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsurg.2019.00048

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by JST SPRING, Grant Number JPMJSP2114.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6 Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan

    Wenrui Liu & Yoichi Haga

  2. Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6 Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan

    Noriko Tsuruoka & Yoichi Haga

  3. The Urology Office of Tana-Hashi, 2-2-11 Kokubun-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-0803, Japan

    Yoshikatsu Tanahashi

Authors
  1. Wenrui Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Noriko Tsuruoka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yoshikatsu Tanahashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yoichi Haga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wenrui Liu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

All authors confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest with this publication.

Ethical approval

For this type of study, formal consent is not required.

Informed consent

This article does not contain patient data.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, W., Tsuruoka, N., Tanahashi, Y. et al. Design and kinematics of a tube-shaped multidirectional bending robotic device using slackened SMA wires for transurethral ureterolithotripsy. Int J CARS 18, 29–43 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-022-02756-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-022-02756-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation