Force Sensing System for Surgical Self-Retaining Retractors

This invention is a single self-retaining retractor with an autoclave force sensor mounted on each side of the retractor at the tissue interface. A force sensor is connected to a processing circuit via autoclave wires and a thermocouple. The processing circuit is connected via a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) with a mobile application to display store and share the data that has been collected. The app also alerts the user if the programmed force threshold has been exceeded. The sensor subassembly portion is sterilizable via autoclave. 

This system can provide valuable feedback to surgeons on the potential of tissue damage due to retractor placement. It can also be used for research and training purposes to determine the thresholds for injury due to high pressure forces, ultimately lowering the number of cases of surgery-induced pain from high force applications, such as retractors.

Background: 
In the operating room, surgeons employ self-retaining retractors to enhance visibility of the surgical site, eliminating the requirement for an assistant to manually retract the soft tissue. However, a potential complication arises from the excessive pressure exerted by these retractors on the soft tissue, which can result in nerve palsies. Nerve palsies can lead to patient discomfort and functional impairments. There is a need to address this issue as 10-40% of patients experience chronic neuropathic pain form surgery-induced neuropathic pain.

Applications: 

• Surgical robots
• Surgical medical devices
• Training for surgeons
• Research in surgical procedures

Advantages: 

• Can be sanitized in an autoclave
• The data can be displayed live
• The data can be collected, stored, and shared through a phone application
• Reduce surgically-induced neuropathic pain