3D contact force sensors were developed and integrated in a demonstration system for testing the feasibility of their application in minimal invasive surgery (MIS). Piezoresistive MEMS based vectorial force sensors were designed and fabricated by 3D silicon micromachining technology and packaged according to their proposed transducer and sensor applications. In this work we demonstrated the integrability and functional applicability of the 3D force sensors in MIS robotic systems to improve their flexibility and reliability by providing real-time force and tactile information during the operation.

The final goal is to integrate the new subsystems in the Robin Heart surgery robot of FRK. Three different functions are targeted: 1. Micro-joystick actuator to be integrated in the hilt of the laparoscope to easily control robotic movement during operation. 2. Force sensor inside the laparoscopic jaw to provide feedback to the surgeon by measuring the grasping strength and 3. 3D force/tactile sensor which facilitates palpation for tissue diagnostics during operation. In this paper we demonstrate a feasibility study regarding these proposed applications.

In this work the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance of gold coated patterned silicon surfaces of different morphology and period was investigated. Arrays of inverse pyramids, spheres and rounded pyramids of different sizes were fabricated by photolithography and selective etching. Thin layer of gold was sputtered onto the surface of the samples. The SERS performance of the substrates was tested using a highly dissolved organic solution.

Ongoing: DBD microplasma generator for Molecule Emission Spectrsocopy