Design of the SJTU Unfoldable Robotic System (SURS) for Single Port Laparoscopy

Abstract

SPL (Single Port Laparoscopy) might generate better surgical outcomes than multi-port laparoscopy. Hence it draws continuous attentions in the past several years. Due to its operative difficulties, several robotic systems were constructed to help surgeons with the surgical manipulation tasks. The SURS (SJTU Unfoldable Robotic System) for SPL is then proposed, aiming at introducing several improvements over the existing systems. The SURS can now be inserted into abdomen through a ⊘12mm incision in its folded configuration and can unfold itself into a dual-arm configuration for surgical interventions. 3D visual guidance is provided with integrated illumination. The design overview, component descriptions, and preliminary experimental characterizations are elaborated to demonstrate the SURS's potentials.