Improving tactile sensation in laparoscopic surgery by overcoming size restrictions

Abstract

Hepatic tumors appear as stiff inclusions within the surrounding soft, healthy tissue. In open surgery they are searched for by manual palpation with the gloved fingertip. However, to exploit the benefits of MIS it is mandatory to implement a substitution for the human sense of touch. Therefore, a tactile instrument has been developed with the aim of enlarging the sensing area at the tool tip once it enters the abdominal cavity through the trocar. The provision of a large sensitive surface enables the detection of nearly all sizes of tumors and decreases the time needed for the performance of this task. A prototype was manufactured by laser sintering in PA serving as a carrier for an existing flexible silicone sensor. Automated as well as manual subject palpation tests have shown that a prototypical instrument with a laterally opening lid would be a suitable device for tumor detection in laparoscopic liver surgery.

Keywords

• minimally invasive surgery
• tactile tools
• human sense of touch
• artificial skin
• artificial tactility
• intraoperative palpation
• hepatic tumor detection
• hardness differentiation