Cylindrical Developable Mechanisms for Minimally Invasive Surgical Instruments

Developable mechanisms conform to and emerge from developable, or specially curved, surfaces. The cylindrical developable mechanism can have applications in many industries due to the popularity of cylindrical or tube-based devices. Laparoscopic surgical devices in particular are widely composed of instruments attached at the proximal end of a cylindrical shaft. In this paper, properties of cylindrical developable mechanisms are discussed, including their behaviors, characteristics, and potential functions. One method for designing cylindrical developable mechanisms is discussed. Two example developable surgical devices that exemplify these behaviors, characteristics, and functions, along with the kinematic mechanisms comprising them, are discussed in detail.