An Optical Grasping Force Sensor for Minimally Invasive Surgical Robotic Forceps

The purpose of this study is to realize the grasp force measurement of forceps for minimally invasive surgical robots. The minimally invasive surgical robots currently in widespread use limit the direct sensation of the surgeon, and require a high level of control skills and proficiency to use. To solve those problems, the grasping force sensing of the robotic forceps is needed. However, considering the practical aspects such as miniaturization and productivity, it is not easy to attach the conventional force sensor to the robotic forceps. In this study, we propose a novel grasping force sensing method using optical interference between ultra-thin optical fibers. We demonstrate the working principle of the grasp sensor through the sensor fabrication and evaluation.