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Surgeons have developed new minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques and instruments so that procedures that would previously have required a large incision can now be performed through a tiny 10mm cut.

University of Western Ontario and Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics (CSTAR) in London, Ontario

The researchers used a torque sensor to measure the force of the palpations.

miniature uniaxial force sensor for use within a beating heart during mitral valve annuloplasty

provides a hollow core to pass instrumentation

Fiber optic transduction eliminates electrical circuitry within the heart, and acetal components minimize ultrasound-imaging artifacts

Currently this catheter method requires the use of three different devices, which are inserted into the heart in succession: one to map the heart's signals and detect the problem area, a second to control positions of therapeutic actuators and their contact with the epicardium, and a third to burn the tissue away.

The device is designed to deliver critical, high quality information - such as temperature, mechanical force, and blood flow - to the surgeon in real time.

Affixed to the chest as a respiration monitor, the team suggest it might help prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) but Hata's favourite application is the "data glove", which senses the movement of each finger. The group's glove sensed the motions of typing, but they say a version could be used to guide robots which perform surgery.  Hata also has more fun applications in mind, such as game controllers and virtual reality systems.