Dynamic characteristics of continuum robot for colonoscopy using finite element simulation

Medical robots have massive potential for improving the precision and capabilities for doctors to perform surgical procedures. For detecting colon cancers, these robots are also capable of suturing and inchworm devices can move over the narrow passages as required inside human colon. Most of the existing medical robots are designed and developed in order to enhance their stiffness to minimize the vibration of the end-effectors to obtain good position accuracy. In addition to this, it is important to study the dynamic characteristics of the colonoscope, such as load, stress, and strain for understanding the suitability of material used for colonoscope. In this paper, silicone rubber with selected specifications is used as colonoscope material and Mooney Rivlin equations are solved using ABAQUS software. Pneumatic pressure is taken as input parameter (0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa). Finite Element Simulation is carried out and results are plotted for various set of values of input pressure. The results obtained indicate that silicone rubber with specified characteristics is a suitable material for colonoscope and it increases the comfort for the patient by exerting less force on the colon while it is moved inside the colon.