A novel force sensing integrated into the trocar for minimally invasive robotic surgery

Minimally invasive robotic surgery holds a fundamental role in modern surgery. However, one of its major limitations compared to classic laparoscopy is that the surgeon can only rely on visual perception, for the lack of haptic force feedback. A new solution for a force sensor placed at the end-tip of the trocar is presented here. This solution allows measuring the interaction forces between the surgical instrument and the environment without any changes to the instrument structure and with full adaptability to different robot platforms and surgical tools. A prototype of the sensor has been realized with 3D printed technology for a proof of concept. The static and dynamic characterization of the sensor is provided together with experimental validation.