Flexible Robotics in Medicine

Flexible Robotics in Medicine: A Design Journey of Motion Generation Mechanisms and Biorobotic System Development provides a resource of knowledge and successful prototypes regarding flexible robots in medicine. With specialists in the medical field increasingly utilizing robotics in medical procedures, it is vital to improve current knowledge regarding technologies available. This book covers the background, medical requirements, biomedical engineering principles, and new research on soft robots, including general flexible robotic systems, design specifications, design rationale, fabrication, verification experiments, actuators and sensors in flexible medical robotic systems. Presenting several projects as examples, the authors also discuss the pipeline to develop a medical robotic system, including important milestones such as involved regulations, device classifications and medical standards. - Covers realistic prototypes, experimental protocols and design procedures for engineering flexible medical robotics - Covers the full product development pipeline for engineering new flexible robots for medical applications, including design principles and design verifications - Includes detailed information for application and development of several types of robots, including Handheld Concentric-Tube Flexible Robot for Intraocular Procedures, a Preliminary Robotic Surgery Platform with Multiple Section Tendon-Driven Mechanism, a Flexible Drill for Minimally Invasive Transoral Surgical Robotic System, Four-Tendon-Driven Flexible Manipulators, Slim Single-port Surgical Manipulator with Spring Backbones and Catheter-size Channels, and much more