Optical fiber sensors and interrogation systems for interaction force measurements in minimally invasive surgical devices

Minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures involving laparoscopic and endoscopic devices are often preferred over traditional open surgery due to a shorter postoperative recovery time and reduced intraoperative complications. Many ongoing research activities are focused on the use of strain/force sensors for the measurement of interaction forces occurring at the instrument-tissue interface of the surgical devices [1]. Electrical strain gauge technology has been either utilized in the form of a modular sensor [2] or attached onto the instrument trocar [3]. However, optical fiber sensors have many advantages over their electrical counterparts, for example, immunity to electromagnetic interference, which allows them to be used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fields. Instruments in which the optical fiber sensor forms an integral part of the end effector are desirable to enable accurate measurement of complex interaction and cutting forces.