In this post, we are pleased to share a paper entitled “Three-dimension Tip Force Perception and Axial Contact Location Identification for Flexible Endoscopy using Tissue-compliant Soft Distal Attachment Cap Sensors”, contributed by Zhang Tโ , Yang Yangโ , Yang Yang, Huxin Gao, Sam, Jiewen Lai and Hongliang Renโ.
In endoluminal surgeries, inserting a flexible endoscope is one of the fundamental procedures. During this process, vision remains the primary feedback, while the perception of tactile magnitude and location is insufficient.
To address this issue, we propose a fiber Bragg grating (FBG)โbased tissue-compliant sensor cap with multi-mode sensing capabilities, including contact location identification at the terminal surface and the three-dimensional contact force perception at the tip. Utilizing the relative contact location information, operators can adjust the steerable segment of the endoscope when transitioning from one segment of a natural orifice to a narrower segment, which may be obstructed by constricted lumens(Fig.1).
The FBG-based sensor can perceive the tip contact force and identify the axial contact location with high precision, which is shown in Fig.2. The experimental results demonstrate the potential of the proposed sensing mechanism to be applied in surgeries requiring endoscope insertions.
Stay tuned for more research from our lab on endoscopic force sensing!
