Design and Implementation of micro-animal surgical instruments using Arduino

Andrew Junyoung Lee
Busan Foreign School

Abstract

Due to the extraordinary precision required, surgery on exceptionally small animals is often extremely difficult and time-consuming. The goal of this study is to minimize errors and damage caused by creating a device that limits hand movement to a restricted range, hence increasing stability. This device was designed so that the operation unit which the user manipulates moves at an n:1 ratio from the implementation unit which copies the movement. Potentiometers were employed on the operational unit for the joints in order to use the resistance value of each potentiometer as an input for the servomotors on the implementation unit, ensuring that the implementation unit rotates at the same ratio. The implementation unit’s end was fitted with a gear and a servomotor to enable the tongs to move in response to input from the operational unit. To avoid overloading the motor, a rubber band was utilized to disperse the torque and the program was coded so that if the input value is greater than normal, the mechanism will not move. Usability can be boosted in the future by using more sturdy components and haptic feedback via vibrations.

Please click to read the paper.