Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2026
Force and Position Control in Humans - The Role of Augmented Feedback
Published on: June 19, 2016
Evaluation of a laparoscopic grasper with force feedback
1Program for Robotics, Intelligent Sensing, and Mechatronics (PRISM) Laboratory, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, MEM Department, Room 2-115, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. tie@coe.drexel.edu
Background:
The clinical implementation of laparoscopic tools with haptic feedback is far from becoming a reality, partly because current tools with force feedback are not configured like conventional surgical instruments. Hence, our goal was to incorporate force sensing into existing laparoscopic tools for use in robot-assisted surgery.
Methods:
We developed a laparoscopic grasper with force-feedback capability that would help surgeons to differentiate tissue stiffness based on the measured tissue deformation.
Results:
Surgeons and nonsurgeons alike were able to qualitatively characterize different tissue samples with a high degree of accuracy. The observed force vs deformation characteristic for various tissue samples confirmed the ability of our apparatus to characterize tissues of varying stiffness.
Conclusion:
This innovative laparoscopic grasper with force-feedback capability enables accurate characterization of tissue deformation and is a promising tool for minimally invasive surgery.
