MRI-Compatible Fiber-Optically Sensorized Surgical Tools for Precision Removal of Solid Tumors

Robotic surgery is a recent breakthrough that is still rapidly emerging. Even the best surgical robotic tools lack the sense of touch that surgeons use to great advantage in the removal of tumors. IFOS proposes to address this shortcoming by embedding arrays of optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors into metal-free miniature robotic surgery end-effectors. Multiple FBGs can be placed along a single fiber and optically multiplexed to create a tool capable of resolving multiple contact forces and locations as well as temperature profiles. FBG sensors are very small, and are sensitive to mechanical strains as small as 0.1 microstrain. They are more robust than conventional strain gauges, and immune to electromagnetic interference, making them compatible with MRIs. Phase I will explore the feasibility of MRI-compatible fiber-sensorized tools enhancing surgical accuracy for tumor removal. It will include design of an optical interrogator for real-time processing of signals from multiple FBGs, and development of new fabrication methods for bonding optical fibers to surgical tools. The end result will be a sensitive and robust prototype tool that will give physicians unprecedented ability to monitor and respond to forces at the distal ends of surgical and endoscopic instruments, whether used in-situ or remotely.