Optimal design and analysis of a 3-RRPaR parallel manipulator for chest compressions

The concept of a medical parallel manipulator device applicable to chest compressions in the process of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is proposed in this paper. According to the requirements of CPR action, a new translational parallel manipulator (TPM) is designed for such applications. And a thorough kinematic analysis and optimization are performed for the designed TPM. The mobility of the manipulator is analyzed using screw theory. The inverse kinematics and forward kinematics problems´ are solved in details and the singularities are investigated afterwards. Utilizing a numerical search method, the manipulator workspace has been generated with the consideration of factors from medical aspects. The architectural optimization has been carried out based on a mixed performance being a weighted sum of global dexterity index and space utility ratio index, and the simulation results are presented. The research work provides a sound base for the development of a medical manipulator to assist in CPR operation.