The Design and Development of an Atraumatic Soft Robotic Surgical Retractor

This paper introduces a novel soft robotic surgical retractor system, designed to overcome the limitations of traditional surgical retractors through the integration of soft robotics. Unlike conventional rigid retractors, this innovative system features a dual-component design combining a 3D-printed...

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Main Authors: Gavril Yong En Tan, Shaun Mahesh Buxani, Benjamin Wee Keong Ang, Chao Yu Chen, Raye Chen Hua Yeow, Hung Leng Kaan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2025-01-01
Series:IEEE Access
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10852300/
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author Gavril Yong En Tan
Shaun Mahesh Buxani
Benjamin Wee Keong Ang
Chao Yu Chen
Raye Chen Hua Yeow
Hung Leng Kaan
author_facet Gavril Yong En Tan
Shaun Mahesh Buxani
Benjamin Wee Keong Ang
Chao Yu Chen
Raye Chen Hua Yeow
Hung Leng Kaan
author_sort Gavril Yong En Tan
collection DOAJ
description This paper introduces a novel soft robotic surgical retractor system, designed to overcome the limitations of traditional surgical retractors through the integration of soft robotics. Unlike conventional rigid retractors, this innovative system features a dual-component design combining a 3D-printed thermoplastic polyurethane actuator with a stainless-steel splint (SSS), enabling variable stiffness for more effective and less traumatic tissue retraction. The study presents a comprehensive evaluation, including bending angle, blocked force measurements, actuation time efficiency, and a comparative analysis with traditional stainless steel Langenbeck retractors. Results demonstrate the soft robotic retractor’s superior performance, especially when utilizing the tip for retraction, indicating a significant alignment with the requirements for abdominal organ retraction. Furthermore, the system exhibited reduced deformation to retracted soft objects, suggesting a potential for minimizing tissue trauma compared to conventional retractors. The study proposes directions for enhancing retraction strength, optimizing design for improved force output, and conducting comprehensive testing to ensure clinical viability. This work lays the groundwork for future advancements in soft robotic surgical retractors, promising to revolutionize surgical retraction practices by offering enhanced safety and efficiency.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 2169-3536
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher IEEE
record_format Article
series IEEE Access
spelling doaj-art-d8e5f9a70af6441ba6fa070e665f69a32025-01-31T23:05:06ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362025-01-0113198881989710.1109/ACCESS.2025.353401910852300The Design and Development of an Atraumatic Soft Robotic Surgical RetractorGavril Yong En Tan0https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8834-3609Shaun Mahesh Buxani1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2361-5051Benjamin Wee Keong Ang2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8313-6541Chao Yu Chen3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5507-3122Raye Chen Hua Yeow4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6210-4548Hung Leng Kaan5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0526-9100Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Cluny Road, SingaporeDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Cluny Road, SingaporeDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Cluny Road, SingaporeDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Cluny Road, SingaporeDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Cluny Road, SingaporeDepartment of Surgery, National University of Singapore, Cluny Road, SingaporeThis paper introduces a novel soft robotic surgical retractor system, designed to overcome the limitations of traditional surgical retractors through the integration of soft robotics. Unlike conventional rigid retractors, this innovative system features a dual-component design combining a 3D-printed thermoplastic polyurethane actuator with a stainless-steel splint (SSS), enabling variable stiffness for more effective and less traumatic tissue retraction. The study presents a comprehensive evaluation, including bending angle, blocked force measurements, actuation time efficiency, and a comparative analysis with traditional stainless steel Langenbeck retractors. Results demonstrate the soft robotic retractor’s superior performance, especially when utilizing the tip for retraction, indicating a significant alignment with the requirements for abdominal organ retraction. Furthermore, the system exhibited reduced deformation to retracted soft objects, suggesting a potential for minimizing tissue trauma compared to conventional retractors. The study proposes directions for enhancing retraction strength, optimizing design for improved force output, and conducting comprehensive testing to ensure clinical viability. This work lays the groundwork for future advancements in soft robotic surgical retractors, promising to revolutionize surgical retraction practices by offering enhanced safety and efficiency.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10852300/Finger actuatorsoft roboticsvariable stiffnessjammingretractorsurgery
spellingShingle Gavril Yong En Tan
Shaun Mahesh Buxani
Benjamin Wee Keong Ang
Chao Yu Chen
Raye Chen Hua Yeow
Hung Leng Kaan
The Design and Development of an Atraumatic Soft Robotic Surgical Retractor
IEEE Access
Finger actuator
soft robotics
variable stiffness
jamming
retractor
surgery
title The Design and Development of an Atraumatic Soft Robotic Surgical Retractor
title_full The Design and Development of an Atraumatic Soft Robotic Surgical Retractor
title_fullStr The Design and Development of an Atraumatic Soft Robotic Surgical Retractor
title_full_unstemmed The Design and Development of an Atraumatic Soft Robotic Surgical Retractor
title_short The Design and Development of an Atraumatic Soft Robotic Surgical Retractor
title_sort design and development of an atraumatic soft robotic surgical retractor
topic Finger actuator
soft robotics
variable stiffness
jamming
retractor
surgery
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10852300/
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