A tactile sensor using the acoustic reflection principle for assessing the contact force component in laparoscopic...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Technology
• Medical Robotics

Background:

• Tumor localization in early-stage gastric cancer is challenging in minimally invasive surgery (MIS).
• Existing tactile sensing methods for MIS lack consideration for boundary conditions during tissue palpation.
• Development of safe and effective tools for intraoperative tumor detection is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel tactile sensor for precise gastric tumor detection in MIS.
• To assess the sensor's ability to measure normal and shear forces under realistic surgical conditions.
• To investigate the utility of force measurements for improving tumor localization in laparoscopic surgery.

Main Methods:

• A two-axis tactile sensor utilizing the acoustic reflection principle was designed and fabricated.
• The sensor was tested on an artificial stomach phantom, simulating intraoperative conditions without a rigid base.
• Normal and shear force responses were measured during simulated tumor localization tasks.

Main Results:

• The developed tactile sensor is sterilizable and safe for human tissue contact.
• The sensor successfully measured both normal and shear forces, demonstrating its functional capability.
• Shear force measurements proved more stable and responsive to tumor position compared to normal force, which was influenced by tissue bending.

Conclusions:

• A novel two-axis tactile sensor based on acoustic reflection is suitable for tissue palpation in MIS.
• The sensor's shear force measurement capability is particularly valuable for accurate early-stage gastric tumor localization.
• This technology offers a promising solution for enhancing precision in laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery.