Objective characterization of object-specific grasping behavior during robot-assisted pulmonary resection using intraoperative force data.

OBJECTIVES: Objective analytical approaches for characterizing intraoperative grasping behavior have not yet been established, despite the availability of robotic systems capable of recording grasping-force data. This exploratory study aimed to objectively characterize object-specific grasping behavior during robot-assisted pulmonary resection using synchronized surgical video review and force-log analysis. METHODS: Force data were collected from seven pulmonary resections performed using a robotic system equipped with haptic feedback and force-logging capability. Surgical videos were reviewed to identify grasping events involving five object categories: bronchial sheath, lung, lymph nodes, artificial materials, and vascular sheath. After force-log cleaning, five force-related features (peak force, mean force, mean-to-peak ratio, initial rising slope, and hold time) were extracted from each grasping event and compared among the object categories. RESULTS: A total of 271 grasping events comprising 64,765 force data points were analyzed. Significant differences were observed in all five force-related features among the object categories. Lymph nodes exhibited the lowest peak and mean forces, whereas artificial materials showed the highest forces and the steepest initial rising slope. Bronchial sheath and vascular sheath demonstrated similar force-related characteristics with intermediate forces and the gentlest initial rising slope. Subcategory analyses revealed additional differences, including higher forces in mediastinal than hilar lymph nodes and a steeper initial rising slope in lung-move than lung-hold maneuvers. CONCLUSION: Object-specific differences in force-related features enabled quantitative characterization of intraoperative grasping behavior during robot-assisted pulmonary resection. This exploratory study presents a methodological approach for objectively characterizing tissue-specific manipulation during robot-assisted pulmonary resection.