Research and development of a laparoscopic surgical device for ligating endless organs based on a flexible structure

Abstract

While laparoscopic surgery has become increasingly widely used, many laparoscopic procedures are time-consuming and difficult to accomplish compared to open surgery. One such procedure is the ligation of endless organs. In this paper, the development and prototyping of a laparoscopic instrument that could significantly increase the efficiency of laparoscopic ligation is outlined. The mechanism is based on a snake-like flexible structure which is actuated by control wires. A simple simulation was carried out by both experienced surgical staff as well as non-surgical persons to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed mechanism.

Keywords:

• Laparoscopic
• ligate
• wire-control
• flexion
• flexible
• snake-like

Acknowledgements

This research was partially supported by the Medical-Engineering Hybrid Professional Development Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University. We also wish to express our thanks to the surgeons who are also part of the same course for their helpful advice and feedback.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was partially supported by the Medical-Engineering Hybrid Professional Development Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University. We also wish to express our thanks to the surgeons who are also part of the same course for their helpful advice and feedback.