The goal of this project is to create a needle-sized continuum (i.e., continuously flexible) robot to enhance surgical access of the larynx during office-based endoscopic laser surgery. Existing instrumentation used for this procedure offers a limited range of articulation, rendering places such as the underside of the vocal folds inaccessible. We developed a robotic steerable laser fiber, equipped with three degrees of freedom, to overcome this challenge. The fiber, capable of bending, rotating and translating, is controlled by a compact, lightweight actuation unit which mounts on the endoscope handle. The steerable fiber is small enough (diameter: 1.1 mm) to be deployed through the operating channel of most clinical endoscopes. We characterized and verified the mechanical performance of the device experimentally as well as in simulation. Results indicate that our device increases gross tissue access by 150% compared to existing clinical instrumentation.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Tougas, Ryan
• Minch, Emily
• Do, John Hoang
• Mihaleva, Rositsa

Subject

• Innovation
• Health
• Well-Being
• Project-Based Learning

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 63526
• E-project-042522-182444

Keyword

• Medical Device
• Endoscopy
• Larynx Surgery
• Laser Surgery
• Tumor Ablation
• Continuum Robotics

Advisor

• Fu, Jie
• Michalson, William R.
• Liu, Yuxiang
• Fichera, Loris

Year

• 2022

Sponsor

• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Date created

• 2022-04-25

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Robotics Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright