Modular Robotic Approach in Surgical Applications– Wireless Robotic Modules and a Reconfigurable Master Device for Endoluminal Surgery
The trend in surgical robots is moving from traditional master-slave robots to miniaturized devices for screening and simple surgical operations (Cuschieri, A. 2005). For example, capsule endoscopy (Moglia, A. 2007) has been conducted worldwide over the last five years with successful outcomes. To enhance the dexterity of commercial endoscopic capsules, capsule locomotion has been investigated using legged capsules (Quirini, M. 2008) and capsules driven by external magnetic fields (Sendoh, M. 2003; Ciuti, G. 2010; Carpi, F. 2009). Endoscopic capsules with miniaturized arms have also been studied to determine their potential for use in biopsy (Park, S.-K. 2008). Furthermore, new surgical procedures known as natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) and Single Port Access surgery are accelerating the development of innovative endoscopic devices (Giday, S. 2006; Bardaro, S.J. 2006). These advanced surgical devices show potential for the future development of minimally invasive and endoluminal surgery. However, the implementable functions in such devices are generally limited owing to space constraints. Moreover, advanced capsules…