Development of fiber-optic triaxial force sensor for guidewire tip

Abstract

With the advancement of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and interventional therapy robots, the lack of direct perception of the contact force between interventional instruments and human blood vessels and tissues by physicians often leads to surgical complications or suboptimal treatment outcomes. Therefore, the development of miniature force sensors for instrument tips has become a hot research topic. This paper introduces a fiber-optic flexible force sensor based on Fabry- Pérot interference (FPI), which can be integrated into the tip of guidewires used in minimally invasive surgery. The performance of the designed sensor was validated through simulations and experiments, demonstrating its excellent capabilities. The results indicate the potential of this sensor for real-time force monitoring in minimally invasive interventions.