PROCEEDINGS ARTICLE | September 9, 2010
Proc. SPIE. 7653, Fourth European Workshop on Optical Fibre Sensors
KEYWORDS: Optical fibers, Tumors, Tissues, Surgery, Sensors, Blood vessels, Magnetic resonance imaging, Electromagnetism, Robotic systems, Robotic surgery
In conventional open surgery, using finger palpation, surgeons can distinguish between different types of tissues.
However, in the current commercially available minimally invasive robotic surgery (MIRS) systems, direct tactile
feedback is negligible. In the present paper, based on a novel concept, a new bend-type optical fiber tactile sensor is
proposed, designed, simulated, fabricated, and tested. In both dynamic and static loading conditions, the proposed tactile
sensor measures forces interacting between tissues and surgical tools whether they are distributed contact forces or
concentrated contact forces, or even if these forces are in combination. As a result, the sensor can identify the size and
the position of blood vessels or of abnormal tissues, one of which could be a tumorous lump within normal tissues. In
addition, the static force measurement provided by the sensor allows surgeons to maintain contact stability in any static
interactions between surgical tools and tissues while at the same time avoiding tissue damage because of excessive
contact force. In the meantime, because the sensor is based uniquely on optical fibers, it is insensitive to electromagnetic
fields. As a result, it is compatible with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) devices, which are currently in widespread
use in surgical operating rooms.
