Affiliations: Biomedical Engineering, Artificial Tactile Sensing and Robotic Surgery Laboratory, Biomedical Faculty, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran | Urology Department, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Labbafi Nejad Hospital, Tehran, Iran
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Siamak Najarian, Artificial Tactile Sensing and Robotic Surgery Laboratory, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), No. 424, Hafez Ave., PO Box 15875-4413, Tehran, Iran. Tel.: +9821 6454 2378; Fax: +9821 8848 8186; E-mail: najarian@aut.ac.ir.
Abstract: Artificial tactile sensing is a novel method for obtaining different characteristics of a hard object embedded in a soft tissue. In this regard, artificial palpation is one of the most valuable achievements of artificial tactile sensing that can be used in various fields of medicine and more specifically in surgery. In this study, considering the present problems and limitations in kidney-stone-removal laparoscopy, a new application will be presented for artificial tactile sensing approach. Having imitated surgeon's palpation during open surgery and modeled it conceptually, indications of stone existence that appear on the surface of kidney (due to exerting mechanical load) were determined. A number of different cases were created and solved by the software. Using stress distribution contours and stress graphs, it is illustrated that the created stress patterns on the surface of kidney not only show the existence of stone inside, but also its exact location. In fact, the reliability and accuracy of artificial tactile sensing method in detection of kidney stone during laparoscopy is demonstrated by means of finite element analysis. Also, in this paper, the functional principles of tactile system capable of determining the exact location of stone during laparoscopy will be presented.
Keywords: Artificial tactile sensing, artificial palpation, kidney stone, laparoscopic surgery
