A Force Controlled Laparoscopic Surgical Robot without Distal Force Sensing

Abstract

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) challenges the surgeon's skills due to his separation from the operation area which can be reached with long instruments only. Therefore, the surgeon loses access to the manipulation forces inside the patient. This reduces his dexterity when performing the operation. A new compact and lightweight robot for MIS is presented which allows for the measurement of manipulation forces. The main advantage of this concept is that no miniaturized force sensor has to be integrated into surgical instruments and inserted into the patient. Rather, a standard sensor is attached to a modified trocar outside the patient, which allows for the measurement of manipulation forces. This approach reduces costs and sterilizability demands. Results of first force control experiments are presented to show the feasibility of the concepts.

Prototypic Force Feedback Instrument for Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery

“…A standard force sensor was integrated into the trocar outside the patient. The measurement did not deteriorate by friction due to the double-walled design of the trocar (Zemiti et al, 2004). The placement of the sensor requires a very accurate gravity compensation of the results for every position of the Instrument.…”

VerroTouch: High-Frequency Acceleration Feedback for Telerobotic Surgery

“…The loud environment of the operating room and the surgeon's attention to the stereoscopic display make graphical overlays of simplified force information an excellent option, e.g., [16]. Lastly, other researchers have designed new types of surgical slave robots which are typically smaller than the da Vinci arms, e.g., [19], but these have not yet been transitioned to clinical practice, so it is difficult to speculate on their ability to provide the operator with good haptic feedback.…”

Trends in Robotic Surgery

“…15) between the trocar and the handle of the instrument. 18 The sensor measures the forces and torques applied by the surgeon. A servo-robotic arm drives the instrument, keeping the exerted forces within a certain threshold.…”