Implementation of Force Feedback On Surgical Manipulator For Minimally Invasive Surgery

In this paper, a surgical instrument integrated with a piezoelectric force sensor using advanced computational algorithms is proposed. The instrument could measure grasping force directly at the end effector. For this purpose, grasper-integrated piezoelectric force transducers were embedded in the forceps of the instrument. The compact design of the sensor was realized with a long rectangular structure. The instrument was tested focusing on the factors such as resolution and root mean square error by using reference sensors. Through the experiments, it was confirmed that the proposed method worked well. The force feedback at the tip of the forceps is beneficial for avoiding tissue damage caused by the surgeon’s grasping and incipient slips. It allows the force feedback control of robotic systems with improved surgeon’s operation skill. Furthermore, the sensorized forceps were easily fabricated and are inexpensive.