A 3 mm Wristed Instrument for the da Vinci Robot: Setup, Characterization, and Phantom Tests for Cleft Palate Repair

Cleft palate is a congenital defect that affects approximately 1 in 800 births worldwide. A robotic approach for cleft palate repair is desired due to the potential ergonomic, vision and accessibility improvements in the small workspace of the oral cavity. This paper presents a 3 mm, 4-degree-of-freedom instrument for use with the widely available da Vinci system. The pin-jointed wrist design feat...