Bio-Inspired Technology Group (BITE), Department BioMechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
Bioinspir Biomim. 2023 May 10;18(4). doi: 10.1088/1748-3190/accd35.
Gripping slippery and flexible tissues during minimal invasive surgery (MIS) is often challenging using a conventional tissue gripper. A force grip has to compensate for the low friction coefficient between the gripper's jaws and the tissue surface. This study focuses on the development of a suction gripper. This device applies a pressure difference to grip the target tissue without the need to enclose it. Inspiration is taken from biological suction discs, as these are able to attach to a wide variety of substrates, varying from soft and slimy surfaces to rigid and rough rocks. Our bio-inspired suction gripper is divided into two main parts: (1) the suction chamber inside the handle where vacuum pressure is generated, and (2) the suction tip that attaches to the target tissue. The suction gripper fits through a∅10 mm trocar and unfolds in a larger suction surface when being extracted. The suction tip is structured in a layered manner. The tip integrates five functions in separate layers to allow for safe and effective tissue handling: (1) foldability, (2) air-tightness, (3) slideability, (4) friction magnification and (5) seal generation. The contact surface of the tip creates an air-tight seal with the tissue and enhances frictional support. The suction tip's shape grip allows for the gripping of small tissue pieces and enhances its resistance against shear forces. The experiments illustrated that our suction gripper outperforms man-made suction discs, as well as currently described suction grippers in literature in terms of attachment force (5.95±0.52 N on muscle tissue) and substrate versatility. Our bio-inspired suction gripper offers the opportunity for a safer alternative to the conventional tissue gripper in MIS.
在微创手术 (MIS) 中抓取滑溜且灵活的组织时，使用传统的组织夹具通常具有挑战性。力夹具必须补偿夹具的钳口和组织表面之间的低摩擦系数。本研究专注于开发一种吸力夹具。该装置通过施加压差来夹持目标组织，而无需将其封闭。灵感来自生物吸力盘，因为这些盘能够附着在各种各样的基质上，从柔软而粘稠的表面到坚硬而粗糙的岩石。我们的仿生吸力夹具分为两个主要部分：(1)手柄内部的吸力室，在该室中产生真空压力，和 (2)连接到目标组织的吸力尖端。吸力夹具可通过∅10mm 的 trocar 并在被抽出时展开更大的吸力表面。吸力尖端采用分层结构。尖端在单独的层中集成了五个功能，以允许安全有效地处理组织：(1)可折叠性，(2)气密性，(3)滑动性，(4)摩擦放大和 (5)密封生成。尖端的接触面与组织形成气密密封，并增强摩擦支撑。尖端的形状夹持允许夹持小块组织，并增强其对剪切力的抵抗力。实验表明，我们的吸力夹具在夹持力（肌肉组织上为 5.95±0.52N）和基质通用性方面优于人造吸力盘以及文献中描述的当前吸力夹具。我们的仿生吸力夹具为 MIS 中传统组织夹具提供了更安全的替代方案。
