On‐site three dimensional force sensing capability in a laparoscopic grasper

Abstract

Advancements in robotics have led to significant improvements in robot‐assisted minimally invasive surgery. This paper describes our design of an automated laparoscopic grasper with tri‐directional force measurement capability at the grasping jaws. The laparoscopic tool can measure normal, lateral, and longitudinal grasping forces while grasping soft tissue. Additionally, the tool can also be used to measure the tissue probing forces. Initial testing of the prototype has shown its ability to accurately characterize artificial tissue samples of varying stiffness and accurately measure the probing forces.