Page 486 - Flexible Robotics in Medicine

480 Chapter 21

Figure 21.3
Rendered isometric view of proximal control.

Many commercial endoscopic manipulators are directly attached to the endoscopic
manipulators, as they are not able to be detached and inserted into the working channel of
the existing endoscopic manipulators. Here in Table 21.2, we compare OmniFlex’s efficacy
with some of the related commercially available counterparts.

Our prototype, the OmniFlex (Fig. 21.1), is designed to make compact, flexible, resilient,
and easy to use a nasopharyngeal manipulator. The OmniFlex is intended to be compatible
with working channels of existing endoscopic manipulators. OmniFlex comprises a ball and
socket actuation mechanism at the proximal end, which has driving rods connected at the 3,
6, 9, and 12 o’clock position of the proximal disc (Fig. 21.2). Each driving rod connected to
a driving cable that runs through the inside of the transmission tube and bendable spring
before terminating at the respective 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock positions on the forceps base.
The setup of the prototype makes the OmniFlex a spring-based cable-driven tool. By
rotating the proximal disc about the ball and socket joint, the driving cables are pulled and
allow for omnidirectional curvature (Fig. 21.3). A fifth cable connects a metal rod at the
proximal end to the forceps jaws and is responsible for the opening and closing of the
forceps (Fig. 21.4).