Towards force feedback in laparoscopic surgical tools

There has been a phenomenal rise in the number of minimally invasive surgery procedures over the last few years. The inherent drawback of this technique is the removal of the surgeon from the actual site of surgery, thus limiting his/her perception of tool-tissue interaction. In this study, we measured the forces acting at the tip and handle of a pair of instrumented laparoscopic forceps, and thereby investigated the need for force feedback. During the study, we also developed force coefficients that could be used to enhance “feeling” during laparoscopic procedures. Using these coefficients, it is possible to differentiate between objects of varying hardness. The scope of this investigation can be widened by the application of this concept to other surgical tools as well