Highly articulated robotic probe for minimally invasive surgery

We have developed a novel highly articulated robotic probe (HARP) that can thread through tightly packed volumes without disturbing the surrounding tissues and organs. We use cardiac surgery as the focal application of this work. As such, we have designed the HARP to enter the pericardial cavity through a subxiphoid port. The surgeon can effectively reach remote intrapericardial locations on the epicardium and deliver therapeutic interventions under direct control. Reducing the overall cross-sectional diameter of the mechanism was the main challenge in the design of this device. Our device differs from others in that we use conventional actuation and still have good maneuverability. We have performed simple proof-of-concept clinical experiments to give preliminary validation of the ideas presented here.