An Ungrounded Hand-Held Surgical Device Incorporating Active Constraints with Force-Feedback

Area of Science:

• Surgical Robotics
• Haptic Feedback Systems
• Medical Device Innovation

Background:

• Minimally invasive surgery requires enhanced precision and safety.
• Existing surgical tools lack real-time feedback and constraint management.
• Ungrounded surgical devices offer greater maneuverability but require advanced control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an ungrounded, hand-held surgical device with active constraints and force-feedback.
• To evaluate the device's capabilities in motion compensation and haptic feedback.
• To assess the device's effectiveness in preventing surgical tool penetration.

Main Methods:

• Development of a surgical device with optical tracking and embedded actuation.
• Implementation of active constraints (soft and rigid) for motion scaling and prevention.
• Integration of force-feedback to alert operators of constraint boundary interaction.
• Bench testing and user studies to quantify performance and safety.

Main Results:

• The device demonstrated real-time motion compensation upon encountering active constraints.
• Force-feedback effectively indicated penetration of rigid and soft active constraint boundaries.
• User studies confirmed the device's potential in preventing penetration of rigid constraints.
• Quantified motion scaling and force-feedback capabilities were validated through bench tests.

Conclusions:

• The ungrounded surgical device with active constraints and force-feedback shows significant potential.
• This technology can enhance surgical precision and patient safety.
• The system effectively guides and alerts surgeons, reducing the risk of unintended tissue damage.