A system for laparoscopic surgery ergonomics and skills evaluation

Area of Science:

• Surgical Technology
• Biomechanics
• Medical Robotics

Background:

• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) requires precise instrument control and optimal surgeon ergonomics.
• Objective assessment of surgical skills and ergonomic factors in MIS is crucial for training and performance improvement.
• Current methods for motion analysis in MIS may lack accuracy or comprehensive data capture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a system for tracking instrument and surgeon's arm motion during MIS.
• To enable objective analysis of ergonomic parameters and skills evaluation based on captured motion data.
• To assess the accuracy and feasibility of the developed tracking system in a simulated surgical task.

Main Methods:

• A system utilizing infrared (IR) markers for 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) laparoscopic instrument tracking.
• Integration of 3DOF IR markers attached to the surgeon's elbow and shoulder for arm motion capture.
• A compact IR camera for real-time tracking and recording of marker trajectories during standardized tasks like suturing.
• Evaluation of instrument marker accuracy with root mean square error (RMSE) measurements at varying distances.

Main Results:

• Instrument marker tracking accuracy demonstrated RMSE of 0.61 mm at 0.5 m, 1.0 mm at 0.68 m, and 2.4 mm at 1 m.
• Sample trajectories were successfully recorded during an in-trainer suturing task.
• Computation of basic skills metrics from the acquired motion data was presented.

Conclusions:

• The developed system provides objective data for analyzing instrument and surgeon's arm motion in MIS.
• The system is capable of supporting ergonomic assessment and skills evaluation in surgical training.
• The validated accuracy and feasibility suggest potential for improving surgical training and performance feedback.