Work

Thermally Drawn Steerable Soft Robotic Fiber for Multi-Purpose Minimally Invasive Surgery

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Soft robotic instruments offer unique advantages for minimally invasive surgery (MIS), including safe tissue interaction and adaptability within confined anatomical spaces. However, achieving both miniaturization and functionality within a single device remains a significant engineering challenge. This work presents a monolithically fabricated, tendon-driven fiber robot produced via thermal drawing, integrating rigid polycarbonate (PC) and compliant Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styren (SEBS) elastomer into a continuous, multi-lumen structure. The resulting platform enables remote steering of the fiber tip while supporting channels for additional diagnostic or therapeutic functions. Three purpose-specific fiber variants were developed and evaluated in anatomical phantoms: transvaginal tumor ablation requiring high-precision motion control, gastrointestinal optical diagnosis with spectroscopic sensing, and endovascular navigation with targeted liquid delivery. These demonstrations validate the robot's precision, adaptability, and clinical relevance across multiple MIS scenarios. The proposed thermally drawn fiber offers a scalable approach for rapid prototyping and development of compact, multi-purpose medical devices.

Source: IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters

DOI: 10.1109/lra.2025.3619706

Authors: Libaihe Tian, Jinshi Zhao, Ziqi Yang, Vadzim Chalau, Burak Temelkuran

Institution: Imperial College London

Language: English

Topic: Soft Robotics and Applications

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Award: Self-propelled soft robotic endoscopes for next-generation gastrointestinal surgery and beyond