Innovative effector design for simulation training in robotic surgery

Abstract

Feasibility and effectiveness of minimally invasive surgery have made the use of robotic surgical system a rising prevalence with a wide range of applications. However, as a remarkable result, how to adroitly and precisely manipulate the sophisticated robotic surgery instruments is of fundamental importance to new surgeons. In order to provide the robotic surgical skill training for surgeons, we designed and built a training simulator with virtual reality equipped with two new hardware interfaces (effectors) which can emulate the operating process of the actual manipulators in the robotic surgical system. By using our designed framework, medical trainees can use the simulator to practice the fundamental technique of the surgical operation. To develop training platform and analyze performance, personal real time operating data, such like space position, moving speed and acceleration parameters of the virtual robotic instruments, can be collected by the sensors on the effectors and transmitted through wireless communication to the PC terminal for surgical skill performance analysis.