Bringing the Sense of Touch to Medical Robotic Devices

June 18, 2019

Force measurement sensing technologies are able to enhance the feel of medical devices for physicians and surgeons. However, it has been increasingly difficult to properly mimic the haptic feedback a surgeon would experience when operating on a patient. The solution to making these surgical equipment systems complete lies in providing physical, haptic feedback to the operator, thus restoring their sense of touch. In this video Sean Fenske, editor-in-chief of MPO discusses the importance of a closed loop haptic feedback solution in surgical robotic systems.

 

 

FUTEK Now Offers Two New Strain Gauge Signal Conditioning Amplifiers

June 17, 2019

Irvine, Calif.: FUTEK announces the release of their IAA100 and IAA200 Strain Gauge Signal Conditioning Amplifiers. These two new amplifiers bring increased performance, flexibility, and a dash of color, pushing the performance envelope for industrial automation and laboratory data capture. 

The outside of these two units is one of simplicity. The front face of the red powder coated steel housing features a LED power indicator, adjustment screws for both the sensor span and zero, and a shunt activation button. Screw terminals make connecting equipment simple, with no connectors that need to be crimped and assembled. With all of that, these two new instruments only take up a 0.70 inches of DIN rail space.

The IAA100 features user selectable +/- 5V and +/- 10V outputs while the IAA200 features a 4-20 mA output. To build on the performance improvements of the CSG110, FUTEK split the combined voltage and current amplification capabilities of the CSG110, by designing the IAA100 and IAA200 to only output an amplified voltage and amplified current signal respectively. This hardware split freed up circuit board space allowing the IAA100 and IAA200 to feature:

• 33% reduction in signal noise
• DIP switch selectable signal bandwidths of 1 kHz, 10 kHz, and 25 kHz
• Choice of 5V or 10V excitations
• Selectable excitation voltages of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 4.0, 10.0 mV/V via DIP switches
• Built in signal offset control

The IAA100 and the IAA200 also feature an externally accessible shunt activation button. The extra board space allows for users of the IAA100 and IAA200 to dial in their desired shunt resistance by toggling on/off an array of built in shunt resistors. FUTEK also eliminated the hassle of activating the shunt by pressing the shunt activation button in a crowded cabinet. Instead the shunt can be remotely activated by applying power to an external shunt activation pin.

About FUTEK: FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. is a U.S. Manufacturer of load cells, torque sensors, pressure sensors, multi-axis sensors and related instruments and software. Located in Southern California, FUTEK has built a reputation as a quality provider of test and measurement tools. As the Sensor Solution Source, FUTEK supplies test and measurement products to many industries, especially medical, robotic, and aerospace.