Robotic Flexible Laparoscope System with Intuitive Operation for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Laparoscopic surgery remains a challenging procedure because the laparoscope has to be operated by an assistant during surgery, which requires training and high coopera-tion work between the surgeon and assistants. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to develop a laparoscopic system providing intuitive maneuverability. We developed and implemented a Robotic Flexible Laparoscope System (RFLS) which is controlled by the surgeon’s head movements, so the surgeon can use his/her hands to manipulate the laparoscopic instruments while maneuvering the laparoscope intuitively. In addition, scalable ratio adjustment of head movement with respect to laparoscope movement is also included in our system. Furthermore, in maneuvering the laparoscope intuitively, the most significant advantage is the ability of RFLS can at least save three anatomical positions, which could be retrieved by a single command with small errors. This system makes surgeon-in-charge maneuver the laparoscope intuitively without communication and coordination with assistant needed in conventional way. As a result, it is expected to replace the assistant, thus reduce manpower and enhance the efficiency during the surgery. Experimental results demonstrate that the articulating flexible laparoscope can always follow user’s head motion, memorize the required points and return back to those points in all necessary orientations.