Interactive force sensing feedback system for remote robotic laparoscopic surgery

This paper presents hardware and software systems which have been developed to provide haptic feedback for teleoperated laparoscopic surgical robots. Surgical instruments incorporating quantum tunnelling composite force measuring sensors have been developed and mounted on a pair of Mitsubishi PA-10 industrial robots. Feedback forces are rendered on pseudo-surgical instruments based on a pair of PHANTOM Omnis, which are also used to remotely manipulate the robotic arms. The paper describes the measurement of forces applied to surgical instruments during a teleoperated procedure, in order to provide a haptic feedback channel. This force feedback channel is combined with a visual feedback channel to enable a surgeon to better perform a two-handed surgical procedure on a remote patient by more accurately controlling a pair of robot arms via a computer network.