Haptic feedback in OP:Sense - augmented reality in telemanipulated robotic surgery

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Medical Imaging
• Haptics

Background:

• Haptic feedback is crucial in robot-assisted interventions.
• Current methods often lack integration with medical imaging.
• Surgeons require combined imaging and telemanipulation for enhanced control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To integrate medical imaging data with haptic feedback in a robotic surgery platform.
• To enrich haptic feedback with virtual fixtures derived from imaging data.
• To improve surgical guidance and safety in minimally invasive robotic surgery (MIRS).

Main Methods:

• Developed the OP:Sense robotic research platform.
• Implemented automatic transfer of segmented imaging data to a haptic renderer.
• Enabled creation of virtual fixtures from pre-operative medical images or surgeon-defined boundaries.

Main Results:

• Successfully integrated medical imaging with haptic feedback.
• Demonstrated enrichment of haptic feedback with virtual fixtures.
• Showcased guidance capabilities for surgeons and prevention of damage to critical structures.

Conclusions:

• Combining medical imaging and telemanipulation significantly enhances haptic feedback in robotic surgery.
• Virtual fixtures derived from imaging data improve surgical precision and safety.
• This integration represents a key advancement for future Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery (MIRS) systems.