A hand-held flexible mechatronic device for arthroscopy

The surgical robotics community have developed many different flexible robot designs to address the access problems of minimally invasive surgery. In this paper, we present a hand-held mechatronic tool with a miniaturized distal flexible manipulator incorporating a microscopy probe, camera and a light source for diagnostic arthroscopy. Extensive characterization of the flexible manipulator is provided, including an optimization of the manipulator workspace, hysteresis characteristics and repeatability of the instrument. The lateral stiffness of the flexible manipulator for different bending conditions is assessed along with the overall robustness of the platform. A cadaveric study was performed to demonstrate the potential clinical value of the device.