Anatomy-Specific Optimization of a Multi-Contact-Aided Continuum Manipulator

Surgical endoscopes deployable through natural orifices are necessary to facilitate further reduction in invasiveness. However, the constant curvature deflection shapes of conventional instruments may result in tissue damage while navigating narrow tortuous variable curvature anatomy. A multi-contact-aided (MCA) continuum manipulator comprising spatial anisotropic bending shapes was developed previously. In this paper, an efficient numerical solution of the inverse kinematics considering variable joint limitations for real-time motion planning is proposed. Then, an anatomy-specific design optimization framework of the MCA continuum manipulator is also proposed to lower intraoperative injury further. Structure parameters optimization is implemented to obtain the most similar shape to the anatomical airways. The optimized single-section MCA continuum manipulator is capable of executing ”path-following” motion in three dimensional airways with minimal path deviation. Simulated and experimental deployments toward targeted bronchus are conducted to validate the feasibility of the optimization framework of the MCA continuum manipulator. Consequently, the endobronchial intervention experiments over the targeted airway indicate a mean tip deviation error of 6.2% with respect to manipulator length.