A Novel Haptic Feedback-Based Interaction Control Strategy for Robot-Assisted Vascular Interventional Surgery

Abstract

Robot-assisted vascular interventional surgery is an advanced treatment method that uses robotic systems to perform remote surgical procedures. Haptic feedback is crucial for restoring the interventionist’s sense of presence, allowing them to effectively operate instruments and accurately perceive surgical status. However, despite recent advancements, the quality of haptic feedback remains inferior to traditional manual operation, potentially compromising operational safety during surgery. Our previous work involved designing and developing a novel haptic feedback-based leader device that aligns with interventionists’ operating habits and accurately reproduces follower-side operating forces. This article further optimizes the leader device to improve haptic feedback. Furthermore, we propose a safe interaction control strategy that integrates force and morphological features of surgical instruments. Compared to existing methods, the proposed strategy incorporates an important control parameter—morphological features of surgical instruments. Verification results confirm this strategy’s effectiveness, enhancing robot system-interventionist interaction. This research has the potential to provide safer and more efficient treatment options.