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A Miniature Triaxial Fiber Optic Force Sensor for Flexible Ureteroscopy
IEEE Transactions on Bio-Medical Engineering
|October 28, 2020
Summary
A new miniature fiber optic sensor measures contact force during ureteroscopy. This reliable device accurately detects forces at the ureteroscope tip, enhancing surgical safety.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Surgical Instrumentation
- Optical Sensing
Background:
- Ureteroscopy involves delicate procedures where precise force measurement is crucial for patient safety.
- Existing sensors may be too large or lack the necessary sensitivity for confined ureteroscopic spaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and evaluate a miniature triaxial fiber optic sensor for real-time contact force measurement at the ureteroscope tip.
- To ensure the sensor's accuracy and reliability in the challenging environment of the ureter.
Main Methods:
- A notched flexure design was employed to decouple axial and lateral forces, optimizing sensor sensitivity.
- Finite element analysis was used for parameter optimization and miniaturization.
- A linear decoupled model with singular value decomposition processed fiber Bragg grating wavelength shifts to calculate forces.
Main Results:
- The sensor demonstrated an axial force range of 0-4 N with 0.014 N resolution.
- Lateral force measurement had a range of -2 N to 2 N with 0.011 N resolution.
- Accurate measurements were achieved with less than 2% error.
Conclusions:
- The miniature triaxial fiber optic sensor effectively measures interactive forces at the ureteroscope tip.
- The sensor's ability to discriminate objects validates its reliability and robustness for clinical applications.
