Versatile end effector for laparoscopic robotic scrub nurse

Purpose: Integrating robotic scrub nurses in the operating room has the potential to help overcome staff shortages and limited use of available operating capacities in hospitals. Existing approaches of robotic scrub nurses are mainly focused on open surgical procedures, neglecting laparoscopic procedures. Laparoscopic interventions offer great potential for the context-sensitive integration of robotic systems due to possible standardization. However, the first step is to ensure the safe manipulation of laparoscopic instruments. Methods: A robotic platform with a universal gripper system was designed to pick up and place laparoscopic as well as da Vinci ^® instruments in an efficient workflow. The robustness of the gripper system was studied using a test protocol, which included a force absorption test to determine the operational safety limits of the design and a grip test to determine the system performance. Results: The test protocol shows results regarding force and torque absorption capabilities of the end effector, which are essential when transferring an instrument to the surgeon to enable a robust handover. The grip tests show that the laparoscopic instruments can be safely picked up, manipulated and returned independent of unexpected positional deviations. The gripper system also enables the manipulation of da Vinci ^® instruments, opening the door for robot–robot interaction. Conclusion: Our evaluation tests have shown that our robotic scrub nurse with the universal gripper system can safely and robustly manipulate laparoscopic and da Vinci ^® instruments. The system design will continue with the integration of context-sensitive capabilities.