A 2-DOF Needle Insertion Device Using Inertial Piezoelectric Actuator

Insertion into delicate tissue, such as retina vein occlusion, cell manipulation, and vitreoretinal injection, poses challenges to surgeons and biomedical researchers due to the high resolution, large movement range, compact structure, and multi-DOF output requirements. In order to meet these requirements, a 2-DOF arched needle insertion device driven by inertial piezoelectric actuator was proposed in this article. This device could perform theoretical unlimited translational movement and full rotation with high step resolution. A prototype was fabricated with compact structure, the length and diameter were 230 and 32 mm, respectively. The experimental tests were carried out, the insertion device output 2.47 μm and 0.56 mrad step distance with maximum velocity of 382 μm/s and 200.9 mrad/s under 120 V driving signals, the maximum insertion force of 32 mN was measured. Additionally, a handheld controller with friendly user interface was also developed for open-loop control utilization, which could automatically calculate and generate the required control signals according to the motion command. This device explores the biomedical application of inertial piezoelectric actuator within a compact size, providing a new choice for numerous innovative treatment and biological research involving precision operation.