Prototype Probe Determining Waveguide–Gum Contact for a Robot Surgical System.

A probe for cutting soft gum tissue combines a force sensor and a diode laser. In such operations, contact between the tip of the optical waveguide and the soft gum tissue must first be determined. That permits specification of the cutting trajectory in the robot control system. A probe with a diode laser and single-component force sensor is proposed. The errors regarding contact of the laser's optical waveguide with the soft gum tissue are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]