Comparative evaluation of user interfaces for robot-assisted laser phonomicrosurgery

Area of Science:

• Medical robotics
• Surgical technology
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Traditional phonomicrosurgery relies on mechanical micromanipulators and surgical microscopes.
• Existing setups may present challenges in precision, safety, and surgeon ergonomics.
• Advancements in robotic systems offer potential improvements for minimally invasive procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of different control devices and visualization methods on a novel robotic system for laser phonomicrosurgery.
• To compare the precision, safety, and ergonomics of joystick, joypad, and pen display controls against a traditional setup.
• To establish an objective evaluation method for selecting optimal control interfaces for surgical robotics.

Main Methods:

• Developed a robotic system prototype for remote laser beam control.
• Designed and conducted path-following experiments with ten subjects and 700 trials.
• Utilized a flight simulator joystick, joypad, and pen display as control interfaces.
• Compared performance against a standard phonomicrosurgery setup involving a micromanipulator and microscope.

Main Results:

• The joypad control resulted in an average 45% reduction in surgical errors.
• The pen display system achieved up to a 60% reduction in errors compared to the standard setup.
• Significant improvements in surgical precision, ergonomics, and safety were observed with the new system.

Conclusions:

• The novel robotic system with advanced control interfaces significantly enhances laser phonomicrosurgery outcomes.
• The pen display and joypad offer superior precision and ergonomics over traditional methods.
• The presented evaluation framework supports objective selection of control devices for medical robotic applications.