MRI-compatible, integrated force and torque sensors and systems that incorporate the sensors

1. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible sensor for measuring torque with respect to an axis of rotation in conjunction with an applied linear force, comprising:

a shaft arranged in a longitudinal direction substantially along said axis of rotation;

a base component arranged along said axis of rotation and displaced with respect to said shaft;

a torque detector assembly configured to be coupled to rotational motion of said shaft about said axis of rotation relative to said base component; and

a linear-force detector assembly configured to be coupled to linear motion of said shaft from a force applied in a direction substantially coincident with said axis of rotation relative to said base component,

wherein said torque detector assembly and said linear-force detector assembly are substantially de-coupled from each other such that torque measurements are substantially independent of linear force measurements, and

wherein said MRI compatible sensor consists essentially of MRI compatible materials.

2. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 1 , wherein said torque detector assembly comprises a first fiber-optic strain sensor element, and

wherein said linear-force detector assembly comprises a second fiber-optic strain sensor element.

3. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 2 , wherein said torque detector assembly comprises a third fiber-optic strain sensor element arranged relative to said first fiber-optic strain sensor element to provide substantially temperature-independent torque measurements, and

wherein said linear-force detector assembly comprises a fourth fiber-optic strain sensor element arranged relative to said second fiber-optic strain sensor element to provide substantially temperature-independent linear force measurements.

4. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 3 , wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth fiber-optic strain sensors is an optical fiber comprising a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) section.

5. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 1 , wherein said torque detector assembly comprises a rotational engaging component configured to couple to said shaft while said shaft is subjected to a torque along said axis of rotation,

wherein said torque detector assembly further comprises a flexural beam having a first end fixed relative to said base component and an end free to move relative to said base component, and

wherein said rotational engaging component is arranged to come into contact with said flexural beam to change an amount of force imposed on said flexural beam responsive to said torque along said axis of rotation.

6. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 5 , wherein said torque detector assembly further comprises a first fiber-optic strain sensor element attached along a first side of said flexural beam to be responsive to changes in strain resulting from changes in said amount of force imposed on said flexural beam.

7. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 6 , wherein said torque detector assembly further comprises a second fiber-optic strain sensor element attached along a second side of said flexural beam to be responsive to changes in strain resulting from changes in said amount of force imposed on said flexural beam such that changes in strain on said second fiber-optic strain sensor element are opposite in sign relative to changes in strain on said first fiber-optic strain sensor element to provide substantially temperature-independent torque measurements.

8. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 7 , wherein said linear-force detector assembly comprises a force-transfer component configured to couple to said shaft while said shaft is subjected to a force along said axis of rotation,

wherein said linear-force detector assembly further comprises a flexural lever having a first end fixed relative to said base component and an end free to move relative to said base component, and

wherein said force-transfer component is arranged to come into contact with said flexural lever to change an amount of force imposed on said flexural lever responsive to said force along said axis of rotation.

9. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 8 , wherein said force-transfer component comprises rotational slip joint, and

wherein said shaft passes through said rotational slip joint such that rotations of said shaft are substantially frictionless so that substantially no torque is transmitted from said shaft to said force-transfer component.

10. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 9 , wherein said rotational slip joint is a ball bearing assembly.

11. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 8 , wherein said linear-force detector assembly further comprises a third fiber-optic strain sensor element attached along a first side of said flexural lever to be responsive to changes in strain resulting from changes in said amount of force imposed on said flexural lever.

12. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 11 , wherein said linear-force detector assembly further comprises a fourth fiber-optic strain sensor element attached along a second side of said flexural lever to be responsive to changes in strain resulting from changes in said amount of force imposed on said flexural lever such that changes in strain on said fourth fiber-optic strain sensor element are opposite in sign relative to changes in strain on said third fiber-optic strain sensor element to provide substantially temperature-independent force measurements.

13. The MRI compatible sensor according to claim 12 , wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth fiber-optic strain sensors is an optical fiber comprising an FBG section.

14. The MRI-compatible surgical system, comprising:

a teleoperated surgical tool system configured to be inserted at least partially within a main coil region of an MRI system;

a control system configured to communicate with said teleoperated surgical tool system, said control system comprising a user interface for manual input from a user for real-time control of said teleoperated surgical tool system during imaging of a subject with said MRI system; and

a signal processing system configured to communicate with said control system during imaging of a subject with said MRI system,

wherein at least one of said teleoperated surgical tool system or said control system comprises an MRI-compatible sensor for measuring torque with respect to an axis of rotation in conjunction with, and substantially independently of, an applied linear force.

15. The MRI-compatible surgical system according to claim 14 , wherein said signal processing system is located external to a Faraday cage shielding said MRI system and is configured to communicate with said control system with an optical communications connection.

16. The MRI-compatible surgical system according to claim 15 , wherein said optical communications connection is a fiber optic communications system.

17. The MRI-compatible surgical system according to claim 16 , wherein said control system comprises said MRI-compatible sensor integrated into said user interface to sense manual input from said user while said user and said control unit are located inside said faraday cage.

18. The MRI-compatible surgical system according to claim 17 , wherein said teleoperated surgical tool system comprises a second MRI-compatible sensor configured to communicate with said signal processing system to provide real-time feedback to said user concerning at least one of a torque or force measurement of a surgical tool during use.

19. The MRI-compatible surgical system according to claim 18 , wherein said real-time feedback comprises haptic feedback to said user interface.

20. The MRI-compatible surgical system according to claim 18 , wherein said second MRI-compatible sensor is configured to communicate with said signal processing system with an optical communications connection.

21. The MRI-compatible surgical system according to claim 20 , wherein said optical communications connection is a fiber optic communications system.

22. The MRI-compatible surgical system according to claim 14 , wherein said MRI-compatible sensor comprises:

a shaft arranged in a longitudinal direction substantially along said axis of rotation;

a base component arranged along said axis of rotation and displaced with respect to said shaft;

a torque detector assembly configured to be coupled to rotational motion of said shaft about said axis of rotation relative to said base component; and

a linear-force detector assembly configured to be coupled to linear motion of said shaft from a force applied in a direction substantially coincident with said axis of rotation relative to said base component,

wherein said torque detector assembly and said linear-force detector assembly are substantially de-coupled from each other such that torque measurements are substantially independent of linear force measurements, and

wherein said MRI compatible sensor consists essentially of MRI compatible materials.

23. The MRI-compatible surgical system according to claim 22 , wherein said torque detector assembly comprises a first fiber-optic strain sensor element, and

wherein said linear-force detector assembly comprises a second fiber-optic strain sensor element.

24. The MRI-compatible surgical system according to claim 23 , wherein said torque detector assembly comprises a third fiber-optic strain sensor element arranged relative to said first fiber-optic strain sensor element to provide substantially temperature-independent torque measurements, and

wherein said linear-force detector assembly comprises a fourth fiber-optic strain sensor element arranged relative to said second fiber-optic strain sensor element to provide substantially temperature-independent linear force measurements.

25. The MRI-compatible surgical system according to claim 24 , wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth fiber-optic strain sensors is an optical fiber comprising a FBG section.