Touch-Sensitive Virtual Reality Tools Help Train Tomorrow's Surgeons

A touch-sensitive virtual reality simulator will standardize how surgeons are trained and certified to perform laparoscopic procedures.

Researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY, USA), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, MA, USA) and Tufts University (Boston, MA, USA) are developing new hardware and software that will effectively train surgeons to perform fundamental tasks needed for laparoscopic surgery, including cutting tissues in specific patterns, tying knots, stitching, and manipulating very small items. The simulator will also objectively assess the performance of physicians who are seeking to become certified in laparoscopic surgery.

The new system features real laparoscopic tools, which are connected to equipment nearly identical to that used in actual surgical situations. Realistic computer-generated models of the simulation scene are displayed on a monitor, and the users interact with the simulation both visually and tactically, using haptic (touch feedback) technology to ensure that the users actually feel the lifelike toughness, sponginess, and resistance of virtual tissue. By pairing haptics with automation, the simulator will also be able to guide the hands of trainees literally, so they can see and feel the correct movements as they learn specific surgical tasks. The research team plans to make these simulations available over the Internet.

"We want to give surgeons the best tools possible, so they can better hone their skills and successfully treat their patients,” said project leader Suvranu De, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer. "Just as training on virtual reality simulators has shown to be highly effective for jet pilots, we know that physicians show increased success in surgery the more times they perform it. We're creating new tools that make it easier than ever for them to practice. These same tools will also be used in certification tests to make sure surgeons have all the required skills mastered before they start operating on patients.”

The researchers expect the new system to change significantly the current paradigm of surgical education and assessment, in which performance is subjectively measured by the exam administrators. The new virtual reality simulator will assess test-takers objectively against board-certified standards and criteria, possibly over the Internet. The new system is also expected to be more cost effective, with a lower price point that should lead to a wider availability.

Related Links:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Tufts University