Semi-Automated Sampling System for the Calibration of Traction and Grip Force Measurable Forceps Using Unbiased Samples

Abstract

Accurate force measurement during forceps manipulation is expected to have various applications such as surgical technique analysis. The calibration method is important for achieving accurate measurement. Previously, for a force measurable forceps (FMF) with 3 degrees of freedom (DOF), a calibration method using unbiased samples has been proposed. However, the required number of samples increases exponentially as the DOF increases. Here, we proposed a semi-automated sampling system for collecting unbiased samples from a FMF with 4DOF. We conducted a collection of unbiased samples, calibration, and compared the accuracy with the standard calibration method for linear force sensors. Sampling took around 10 seconds on average (n=1535). The accuracy, evaluated by the average error[N], for the unbiased sample calibration method (radial traction: −0.0565±0.0638, axial traction: −1.51±4.32, grip: 0.780±1.00) improved by approximatively two folds compared to the standard method (radial traction: −0.112±0.132, axial traction: −8.60±9.04, grip: −1.17±1.07), with maximum measurement ranges[N]of±2.00 for the traction, and±1.60 for the grip. We conclude that these results show the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed device, when compared to the conventional standard methodology.