EndoTac: An Endoscopic Camera-Based Tactile Sensor with High Sensitivity for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Surgical Robotics
• Medical Device Innovation

Background:

• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) lacks direct tactile feedback, hindering manipulation of delicate tissues.
• Existing tactile sensors for MIS are often bulky or have limited sensing coverage.
• Restoring tactile perception is crucial for improving MIS safety and precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce EndoTac, a novel miniaturized vision-based tactile sensor for MIS.
• To overcome the limitations of existing tactile tools in terms of size and sensing coverage.
• To enhance surgical manipulation of delicate anatomical structures like vasculature.

Main Methods:

• Developed EndoTac with an integrated endoscopic camera and convex mirror for wide sensing coverage.
• Utilized a soft membrane to achieve high sensitivity for detecting gentle tissue interactions.
• Designed the sensor to be miniaturized for compatibility with standard surgical trocars.

Main Results:

• EndoTac demonstrated a low detection threshold of 20.5 mN and high pixel-level sensitivity.
• Achieved improved force resolution and reliable estimation of vessel deformation during palpation tests.
• The sensor's design maximizes sensing coverage and is compatible with MIS workflows.

Conclusions:

• EndoTac significantly advances tactile feedback restoration in MIS.
• The sensor offers a practical solution for safer and more precise surgical manipulation.
• EndoTac represents a key step towards overcoming the haptic limitations of minimally invasive procedures.