Intracorporeal Robotics

A promising long-term evolution of surgery relies on intracorporeal microrobotics. This book reviews the physical and methodological principles, and the scientific challenges to be tackled to design and control such robots. Three orders of magnitude will be considered, justified by the class of problems encountered and solutions implemented to manipulate objects and reach targets within the body: millimetric, sub-millimetric in the 10- 100 micrometer range, then in the 1-10 micrometer range. The most prominent devices and prototypes of the state of the art will be described to illustrate the benefit that can be expected for surgeons and patients. Future developments nanorobotics will also be discussed.

A promising long-term evolution of surgery relies on intracorporeal microrobotics. This book reviews the physical and methodological principles, and the scientific challenges to be tackled to design and control such robots. Three orders of magnitude will be considered, justified by the class of problems encountered and solutions implemented to manipulate objects and reach targets within the body: millimetric, sub-millimetric in the 10- 100 micrometer range, then in the 1-10 micrometer range. The most prominent devices and prototypes of the state of the art will be described to illustrate the benefit that can be expected for surgeons and patients. Future developments nanorobotics will also be discussed.

Introduction ixChapter 1. Intracorporeal Millirobotics 11.1. Introduction 11.2. Principles 21.2.1. Partially intracorporeal devices with active distalmobilities 21.2.2. Intracorporeal manipulators 51.2.3. Intracorporeal mobile devices 161.3. Scientific issues 201.3.1. Modeling 201.3.2. Design 241.3.3. Actuation and transmission 261.3.4. Sensing 301.3.5. Control 341.4. Examples of devices 371.4.1. The robotic platform of the Araknes project 391.4.2. A snake-like robot made of concentric super-elastic tubes441.4.3. MICRON: a handheld robotized instrument for ophthalmicsurgery 481.5. Conclusion 52Chapter 2. Intracorporeal Microrobotics 552.1. Introduction 552.2. Novel paradigms for intracorporeal robotics 562.2.1. Classification of intracorporeal robots 562.2.2. Physical principles in use at microscale 572.3. Methods 662.3.1. Models 662.3.2. Design 712.3.3. Actuation 752.3.4. Sensing 802.3.5. Control 862.4. Devices 972.4.1. Magnetically guided catheters 972.4.2. Distal tip mobility for endoluminal microphonosurgery982.4.3. Autonomous active capsules 1022.4.4. Magnetically guided capsules 1042.5. Conclusion 107Chapter 3. In vitro Non-Contact Mesorobotics 1093.1. Introduction 1093.2. Principles 1113.2.1. Introduction 1113.2.2. Laser trapping 1143.2.3. Electrostatic principles 1183.3. Scientific challenges 1223.3.1. Modeling 1223.3.2. Design 1293.3.3. Perception 1313.3.4. Control 1313.4. Experimental devices 1323.4.1. Laser trapping 1323.4.2. DEP systems 1393.5. Conclusion 147Chapter 4. Toward Biomedical Nanorobotics 1494.1. Applicative challenges 1494.1.1. In vitro applications 1494.1.2. Nanoassembly for biomedical applications 1504.1.3. In vivo applications 1504.2. Scientific challenges 1504.2.1. New paradigm removing frontiers between sciences 1504.2.2. Energy sources 1514.2.3. How far away is this future? 152Bibliography 153Index 183