Control of an IPMC actuated robotic surgical tool with embedded interaction sensing

An active robotic surgical instrument using Ionic Polymer-metal Composite (IPMC) actuation and integrated sensing for force control has been developed and tested. Results described in this paper show the device has the capabilities to operate capably as a robotic surgical tool. With the recent progression of research and applications in robotic aided surgery instrument, it is generally accepted that robotic surgical tools, in some area, have actually surpassed human in performance. Among them, the application of IPMC in medical practice has shown its potential to undertake precise surgical procedures in delicate environments because of its inherently force compliant and bio-compatible nature, and also because IPMC has similar actuation characteristics to real biological systems. Nevertheless, little work has been done exploring the using IPMC as an actuator for a rotary joint mechanism, and applying this to a surgical instrument. This research presents the development of a fully integrated single degree of freedom robotic surgical device with embedded force and position sensing for feedback control. Even with the simplicity of the system, it is proven to be capable of conducting certain surgical procedures. This device has a rotary joint with a scalpel attached which is actuated by an IPMC, with a strain gauge embedded as a feedback unit, and controlled by a PI controller has shown to capable of maintaining a 1gf cutting force.