title: Haptic interaction in robot-assisted endoscopic surgery: a sensorized end-effector.
abstract: Conventional endoscopic surgery has some drawbacks that can be addressed by using robots. The robotic systems used for surgery are still in their infancy. A major deficiency is the lack of haptic feedback to the surgeon. In this paper, the benefits of haptic feedback in robot-assisted surgery are discussed. A novel robotic end-effector is then described that meets the requirements of endoscopic surgery and is sensorized for force/ torque feedback. The endoscopic end-effector is capable of non-invasively measuring its interaction with tissue in all the degrees of freedom available during endoscopic manipulation. It is also capable of remotely actuating a tip and measuring its interaction with the environment without using any sensors on the jaws. The sensorized end-effector can be used as the last arm of a surgical robot to incorporate haptic feedback and/or to evaluate skills and learning curves of residents and surgeons in endoscopic surgery.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics (CSTAR), London Health Sciences Centre, 339 Windermere Rd., London, Ontario, N6A 5A5, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tavakoli
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moallem
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D002983:Clinical Competence; D019723:Endoscopes; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019415:Torque; D014110:Touch