This work exploits the advantages of compliant mechanisms (devices that achieve their motion through the deflection of flexible members) to enable the creation of small instruments for minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Using flexures to achieve motion presents challenges, three of which are considered in this work. First, compliant mechanisms generally perform inadequately in compression. Second, for a ±90deg range of motion desired for each jaw, the bending stresses in the flexures are prohibitive considering materials used in current instruments. Third, for cables attached at fixed points on the mechanism, the mechanical advantage will vary considerably during actuation. Research results are presented that address these challenges using compliant mechanism principles as demonstrated in a two-degree-of-freedom (2DoF) L-Arm gripper.
Inverted L-Arm Gripper Compliant Mechanism