experimental evaluation of tactile sensors for oral and maxillofacial surgery

The sense of touch is fundamental in surgery. It provides information about the clinical condition of tissues and feedback for controlling surgical gestures. In the last decade the use of sophisticated and low-invasive surgical techniques has limited the interaction of surgeons via their own hands. In fact the introduction of laparoscopic, endoscopic and robotic surgery has reduced the invasiveness of procedures of but also the possibility of direct control and palpation. Despite the clinical evidence on the advantages and added value of such new surgical technologies, the lack of tactile interaction remains a limiting factor. The role of tactile information concerns sensing, for example, the pressure necessary to incise a tissue or to tighten the knot of a suture or the palpation of an anatomical structure. Traditionally, tactile information is received by the own hand of the operator or through the surgical instrumentation. In fact, palpation using hands has always been a prominent part of the objective examination, allowing the physician to determine the location of pathological conditions that escape sight. In addition, it also provides information about extension, consistency and pain of hidden pathologies. Each tissue has its own tactile peculiarities as well as each procedure requires specific tool-tissue interaction. Errors in a surgical procedure due to the lack of tactile information or inadequate tool-tissue interaction forces are common and, therefore, acquiring this kind of knowledge is paramount to enhance surgical performance and education.