Dr. Tadao Matsunaga

Abstract  

Minimally invasive inspections and therapies using a catheter and an endoscope have been widely performed without large incisions and physical burden on the patient. Additionally, a robotic surgery, which is also minimally invasive, have been widely used. Micro sensors and actuators using MEMS fabrication technique have been developed for future of minimally invasive medicine which has multi-functions and high performance. Required smallness and particular shape of the minimally invasive tools restricts their functions and preciseness of the tools. For realization of newly minimally invasive medical devices, non-planar photofabrication techniques have been developed. The non-planar photofabrication techniques can make a multi-layered and complex wire shape on the surface and inside of a thin tube-shaped substrate. Utilizing the non-planar photofabrication techniques, we have been developed and demonstrated two types of intraluminal imaging devices for minimally invasive inspection. Multi-layered micro coils fabricated on the surface of thin tube realizes thin and high-resolution endoscope using electromagnetically scanning of a single optic fiber and intraluminal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probe.

For surgical robotic forceps, the ability to sense force is in high demand such as force feedback system and remote palpation, and so on. However, force sensing during surgery is difficult to realize because of the specific requirements which must be smaller and have a resistance against an electromagnetically noise by RF-knife. To solve these problems, optical displacement sensor to sense force has been developed utilizing Fabry-Perot interferometer. The proposed sensor can be smaller within 1 mm in diameter, and tolerant to noise.

Our developed fabrication techniques can realize newly minimally invasive medical tool with high-function and multi-function.