R.E. Ellis and T.M. Peters (Eds.): MICCAI 2003, LNCS 2878, pp. 279–286, 2003. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2003 A Modular 2-DOF Force-Sensing Instrument for Laparoscopic Surgery Srinivas K. Prasad 1,3 , Masaya Kitagawa 1 , Gregory S. Fischer 1 , Jason Zand 2 , Mark A. Talamini 2 , Russell H. Taylor 1 , and Allison M. Okamura 1 1 Johns Hopkins University Engineering Research Center for Computer Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology 315 New Engineering Building, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 {srini,mkitagawa,gfisch,rht,aokamura}@cs.jhu.edu, http://cisstweb.cs.jhu.edu 2 Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Department of Surgery Blalock 665, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287 {jzand,talamini}@jhmi.edu 3 Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Neurological Surgery 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8057, St. Louis, MO 63110 Abstract. Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) has enjoyed increasing attention and development over the last two decades. As MIS systems evolve, the surgeon is increasingly insulated from patient contact, creating a trade-off between surgi- cal sensory information and patient invasiveness. Incorporation of haptic feed- back into MIS systems promises to restore sensory information surrendered in favor of minimal invasiveness. We have developed a novel, biocompatible 2- DOF force-sensing sleeve that can be used modularly with a variety of 5mm laparoscopic instruments. The functional requirements for such a device are de- fined, and design strategies are explored. Our formal device design is outlined and device calibration is presented with derived calibration functions. Illustrative experimental force data from a porcine model is presented. This device can be used for intra-abdominal force recording and feedback in laparoscopic environ- ments; the implications and future potential for this technology are explored. 1 Introduction 1.1 Background Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) has enjoyed increasing attention and development over the last two decades. Decreased patient morbidity, increased recovery rates and shorter hospital stays are all benefits that have fueled the popularity of MIS proce- dures. However, MIS procedures are often more technically demanding and con- strained than open procedures. There is a significant loss of tactile and sometimes visual information that precludes use in more information-intensive surgical proce- dures. As minimally invasive surgical systems evolve, the surgeon is increasingly insulated from patient contact, creating a trade-off between surgical sensory infor-