Haptic feedback system integration for a prototype robotic surgical unit

Robotic surgery is computer-assisted surgery and tools used to enhance minimally invasive surgical procedures. Surgical robots provide exceptional control and precision of surgical instruments. Robotic surgery performs complicated and precise tasks to control and manipulate surgical tools but typically, surgeons do not feel any forces and instead can only rely on an imaging system for feedback. Haptic technology can provide sense of touch to the surgeon through the use of force feedback and tactile cues. The aim of the research presented in this study was to test, analyze and process object-instrument interaction forces to provide a haptic feedback experience to the user controlling robotic surgical tools. The goal of this research was to develop a system to be used as a test platform for evaluating and implementing force feedback mechanism using instrument-object interaction and robotics algorithms to process feedback signal to the user controlling surgical tools in real time. The experiment set up includes two Novint Falcon haptic feedback controllers with QUARC software, a Velmex XSlide assembly for an XYZ stage, an Arduino microcontroller with Linear Actuator Board, Firgelli linear actuators to control the surgical tools, forceps end effector, strain gages used for sensing, and data acquisition system to read amplified strain gage signals. Strain gages successfully record the instrument-object interaction forces and provide feedback to the Novint Falcon controllers through Matlab, SIMULINK and the microcontroller board. Experimental analysis includes use of digital force gauge device and hardcore wire to calibrate and measure instrument-object interaction in the range of 0 - 35 N. It shows linearity in output signals when instrument-object interaction occurs. Research proves application of haptic technology in medical robotics by successfully providing force feedback to the user's hand using strain gage technology. It is concluded that haptic technology with strain gage is capable of providing force feedback. Current robotic surgical set-up was limited to provide force feedback when instrument-object interaction occurs but further research on MEMS technology will provide miniaturization of surgical tool with sensor can be used to test force feedback mechanism during robotic surgery on animals.