Wireless force sensor on a distal portion of a surgical instrument and method

1. An apparatus comprising:

a surgical instrument comprising:

a distal portion; and

a force sensor, mounted on said distal portion of said surgical instrument, comprising:

a wireless package comprising a surface acoustic wave strain sensor and a folded antenna, the folded antenna being electrically coupled to the surface acoustic wave strain sensor, and the surface acoustic wave strain sensor including identification information of said surgical instrument.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said surgical instrument further comprises:

a wrist joint; and

a surgical end effector mounted distal to said wrist joint of said surgical instrument, wherein said distal portion is on surgical end effector.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said surgical end effector includes a jaw and the distal portion is on the jaw.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein a portion of the jaw comprises an electrically non-conductive material, and wherein the portion of the jaw surrounds the distal portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said surgical instrument further comprises:

a wrist joint, wherein said distal portion is proximal to said wrist joint; and

a surgical end effector mounted distal to said wrist joint.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said surface acoustic wave strain sensor comprises a chirped surface acoustic wave strain sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said folded antenna and said surface acoustic wave strain sensor are on a substrate, and are electrically connected by one of trace wire connections and bond wire connections.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said folded antenna is on a first surface of a substrate and said surface acoustic wave strain sensor is on a second surface of said substrate, wherein said second surface is opposite and removed from said first surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said folded antenna and said surface acoustic wave strain sensor are on different substrates, and are electrically connected.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said identification information includes an identification of a type of said surgical instrument.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said identification information further includes identification information unique to said surgical instrument.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said identification information includes identification information unique to said surgical instrument.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a radio-frequency shield pocket mounted on said distal portion of said surgical instrument.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an interrogator antenna configured to transmit wireless interrogation signals to said wireless package, and to receive, from said wireless package, said (1) wireless identification information of said surgical instrument and (2) said wireless strain data from said distal portion; and

a wireless interrogator, coupled to said interrogator antenna, to receive signals from said interrogator antenna, including (1) identification information of said surgical instrument and (2) strain data from distal portion, and to provide signals to said interrogator antenna.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said interrogator antenna is located external to a patient undergoing surgery.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising another surgical instrument having said interrogator antenna mounted thereon so that when a patient is undergoing surgery, said interrogator antenna is internal to said patient.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

a computer connected to said wireless interrogator to receive a signal including (1) identification information of said surgical instrument and (2) strain data from said distal portion, and to convert said strain data into a force signal wherein said force signal is used to provide feedback to a surgeon operating said surgical instrument.