Learning kinematic mappings in laparoscopic surgery (original) (raw)

Laparoscopic Motor Learning and Workspace Exploration

Journal of surgical education, 2016

Laparoscopic surgery requires operators to learn novel complex movement patterns. However, our understanding of how best to train surgeons' motor skills is inadequate, and research is needed to determine optimal laparoscopic training regimes. This difficulty is confounded by variables inherent in surgical practice, for example, the increasing prevalence of morbidly obese patients presents additional challenges related to restriction of movement because of abdominal wall resistance and reduced intra-abdominal space. The aim of this study was to assess learning of a surgery-related task in constrained and unconstrained conditions using a novel system linking a commercially available robotic arm with specialised software creating the novel kinematic assessment tool (Omni-KAT). We created an experimental tool that records motor performance by linking a commercially available robotic arm with specialized software that presents visual stimuli and objectively measures movement outcome ...

Play Me Back: A Unified Training Platform for Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgery

In this letter, we propose a training approach combining handover hand and trial and error training approaches and we evaluate its effectiveness for both robotic and standard laparo-scopic surgical training. The proposed approach makes use of the data of an expert collected while using the da Vinci Surgical System. We present our data collection system and how we use it in the proposed training approach. We conduct two user studies (N = 21 for each) to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach. Our results show that subjects trained using this combined approach can better balance the speed and accuracy of their task execution compared with others trained using only one of either handover hand or trial and error training approaches. Moreover, this combined approach leads to the best performance when it comes to the transferability of the acquired skills when testing on another task. We show that the results of the two studies are consistent with an established model in the literature for motor skill learning. Moreover, our results show for the first time the feasibility of using a surgical robot and data collected from it as a training platform for conventional laparoscopic surgery without robotic assistance. Index Terms-Medical robots and systems, surgical sobotics: laparoscopy, surgical training, training by demonstration.

Learning to use minimal access surgical instruments and 2-dimensional remote visual feedback: how difficult is the task for novices?

Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice, 2002

Performing minimal access surgery requires the use of 2-dimensional information to produce 3-dimensional movements, as well as precise motor control for manipulating laparoscopic tools. The added visuomotor demands of this task make it more demanding and complex than traditional open surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine the relative task difficulty of performing laparoscopic tool movements with normal vision or 'laparoscopic vision' provided by a remote 2-D monitor. A second purpose of this study was to evaluate whether movement performance changes are induced by practice with normal vision (NV) and laparoscopic vision (LV). The study was also designed to determine whether order of visual condition (NV or LV) practice impacts the rate of performance acquisition when transferred to the opposing visual condition. Eleven individuals participated in this study. All subjects performed a bean grasping and a suturing task in two visual conditions: normal vision and l...

Training program for fundamental surgical skill in robotic laparoscopic surgery

The international journal of medical robotics + computer assisted surgery : MRCAS, 2011

BackgroundAlthough the use of robotic laparoscopic surgery has increased in popularity, training protocols for gaining proficiency in robotic surgical skills are not well established. The purpose of this study was to examine a fundamental training program that provides an effective approach to evaluate and improve robotic surgical skills performance using the da Vinci™ Surgical System.Although the use of robotic laparoscopic surgery has increased in popularity, training protocols for gaining proficiency in robotic surgical skills are not well established. The purpose of this study was to examine a fundamental training program that provides an effective approach to evaluate and improve robotic surgical skills performance using the da Vinci™ Surgical System.MethodsFifteen medical students without any robotic surgical experience were recruited. Participants went through a 4-day training program for developing fundamental robotic surgical skills and received a retention test 1 day after the completion of training. Data analysis included time to task completion, average speed, total distance traveled and movement curvature of the instrument tips, and muscle activities of the participants' forearms. Surgical performance was graded by the modified Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills for robotic laparoscopic surgery. Finally, participants evaluated their own performance after each session through questionnaires.Fifteen medical students without any robotic surgical experience were recruited. Participants went through a 4-day training program for developing fundamental robotic surgical skills and received a retention test 1 day after the completion of training. Data analysis included time to task completion, average speed, total distance traveled and movement curvature of the instrument tips, and muscle activities of the participants' forearms. Surgical performance was graded by the modified Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills for robotic laparoscopic surgery. Finally, participants evaluated their own performance after each session through questionnaires.ResultsSignificant training effects were shown for the time to task completion (p < 0.001), average speed (p < 0.01), and movement curvature (p < 0.05) for the test conditions. Significant learning effects were also found for EMG activation (p < 0.05). Participants reported more mastery, familiarity, and self-confidence and less difficulty in performing fundamental tasks with the surgical robot in both post-testing and retention sessions.Significant training effects were shown for the time to task completion (p < 0.001), average speed (p < 0.01), and movement curvature (p < 0.05) for the test conditions. Significant learning effects were also found for EMG activation (p < 0.05). Participants reported more mastery, familiarity, and self-confidence and less difficulty in performing fundamental tasks with the surgical robot in both post-testing and retention sessions.ConclusionsOur 4-day training program comprising of a series of training tasks from fundamental to surgical skill levels was effective in improving surgical skills. Further studies are required to verify these findings with a longer period of retention. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Our 4-day training program comprising of a series of training tasks from fundamental to surgical skill levels was effective in improving surgical skills. Further studies are required to verify these findings with a longer period of retention. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Towards a virtual basic laparoscopic skill trainer (VBLaST)

Studies in health technology and informatics, 2008

Surgical skill training is a long and tedious process of acquiring fine motor skills. To overcome the drawbacks of the existing toolbox trainer systems, we develop, for the first time, a virtual basic laparoscopic skill trainer (VBLaST) whereby tasks, such as the ones available in the FLS toolbox system, may be performed on the computer.