Single-trocar assemblable retractor-hand for laparoscopic surgery

In laparoscopic surgery large instruments cannot be used because they cannot pass through trocars which are typically smaller than 12mm in diameter. For example, retracting an internal organ with a slender instrument is often a difficult task. To remove this limitation, we have proposed “assemblable instruments”, that is, parts are inserted through trocars and assembled inside the abdominal cavity to become a large instrument and we have developed assemblable hands. However they use two trocars for assembling, which require positioning and alignment of two assembled parts. This paper presents a simple three fingered hand whose function is limited to retracting. We propose a much simpler assembling method “single trocar assembling” for the hand. Experimental results verify that the hand can be assembled easily and that it can withstand a force of 25N enough to rectract a pancreas.