Slippage-suppression robot-assisted retraction for thyroid surgery with 5DoF contact force sensing.

Thyroid nodules often necessitate surgical intervention, where traditional retractors may cause muscle damage due to prolonged use. This study introduces a slippage-suppression robotic system for thyroid surgery, featuring a conformal force and torque sensing module integrated with a robotic manipulator for compliant force control. The system features five-dimensional (5DoF) contact force sensing, achieving accurate force measurement with a relative error of ≤ 1.5 % . Experiments performed on phantoms and porcine tissues demonstrate the system's ability to suppress slippage effectively, ensure reliable force feedback, and improve safety and precision during thyroid surgery.