Low-cost force-sensing arthroscopic tool using threaded fiber Bragg grating sensors

Minimally-invasive surgery has revolutionized many medical procedures; however, it also impedes the ability to feel the interaction between the surgical tool and the anatomical part being operated on. In order to address this problem, it is necessary to obtain accurate measurements of the interaction forces exerted on the surgical tools during surgery. These forces can then be manifested to the surgeon via a haptic device or presented visually (visual-force feedback). This paper describes the use of a fiber optic device to measure and display to the surgeon interaction forces acting on an arthroscopic tool. The sensorization of the tool involves a simple, highly efficient and robust design and is ideally suited for use in a surgical training environment aimed at narrowing the gap between trainees and expert surgeons before the trainees proceed to their first surgery in vivo. The major advantages of using fiber optics include their small size, their local simplicity, their ease of sterilization, and their high sensitivity. In this paper, a complete low-cost sensing solution is described, including 1) fiber Bragg grating sensors, 2) high resolution electronic signal processing, 3) fabrication of the tool using a wire electrical discharge machine (EDM) and 3D metal sintering technologies. Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy and performance of the sensorized tool.