SOBW-type surgical device

Cableless SOBW Surgical Device with Integrated Electric Actuation in the End Effector

This technology is an electrically driven SOBW-type surgical device that replaces the conventional mechanical cable-driven system in the end effector of a surgical robot, instead utilizing direct electrical power to perform gripping, pitching, and yawing motions through an integrated motor and gear structure.

In conventional surgical robots, the end effector is driven by cables, which leads to complex connection structures as the number of joints increases or the extension length grows. This results in issues such as backlash caused by long-distance transmission, as well as durability and precision problems due to cable stretching or breakage.

This technology proposes a method of directly placing motors, screw components, and gears inside the end effector to instantly convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. This allows for independent gripping, pitching, and yawing motions without the need for cables, thereby increasing control precision and achieving structural miniaturization. Applicable to the end effectors of laparoscopic surgical robots, it fundamentally resolves the backlash and durability issues associated with cable-driven systems while simultaneously improving the miniaturization and precision of surgical instruments.

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Key Features:

• A body section and an extension section connected at one end to the body to transmit electrical energy to the end effector
• An end effector formed at the other end of the extension section that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy
• An operating section formed by forceps including a first leg and a second leg, and a gripping mechanism that induces the gripping motion
• A pitching motor unit that converts electrical energy into rotational motion and a gear unit that induces the pitching motion of the operating section

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for research on the feasibility of developing next-generation laparoscopic surgical tools applying aerospace, electronic, and mechanical engineering.