Development of a Laser Surgical Device with Vibration Compensation: Mechanical Design and Validation of Its Compliant Mechanism

Mitigating hand tremors in surgical applications has a critical role in laser-based medical procedures. We report the development of a proof-of-concept 3 degrees of freedom (DOF) hand vibration compensation device that features a compliant mechanical structure with three stack-type piezoelectric actuators. Inspired by the Stewart-type mobile platform, the system has the capability to manipulate a laser beam in two directions. In the present work, the mechanical part of the device is designed, and its mathematical model is developed. Also, the manufacturing of the proposed platform is presented, and the precision of its parts is assessed. An in-house developed mechanical stand is designed and utilized in order to perform a static analysis of the linkage amplification mechanism. Both a finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental validations of this mechanism are performed. A good match is obtained between the results obtained with the two methods. An analysis of the errors is made in order to assess the mechanical aspects of the platform. The study lays the foundation for the further development of the mechatronic and optical parts of the system, as well as for its miniaturization.