Accessible laparoscopic instrument tracking ("InsTrac"): construct validity in a take-home box simulator.

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education Technology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery Training
• Objective Performance Assessment

Background:

• Objective performance feedback can optimize laparoscopic simulator training.
• Current instrument movement metrics rely on complex, expensive systems.
• There is a need for accessible, affordable tools for laparoscopic simulator feedback.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate user-ready, affordable software for objective feedback in laparoscopic simulators.
• To track instrument movement using computer-vision in a take-home simulator.
• To assess the construct validity of the developed software.

Main Methods:

• Computer-vision processing tracked colored bands on laparoscopic instrument shafts.
• Instrument positions were logged from simulator camera feeds for real-time metric calculation.
• Novices and surgical trainees performed a standardized task on the eoSim simulator.

Main Results:

• The software reliably tracked instrument tips, differentiating novices from trainees.
• Significant differences were found in task completion time, instrument path length, and motion smoothness.
• Key performance metrics like time, distance, and smoothness showed significant variations between skill levels.

Conclusions:

• Affordable, user-ready software for objective feedback in portable laparoscopic simulators has been developed.
• The software demonstrates construct validity, differentiating between skill levels.
• This technology enhances laparoscopic training accessibility and effectiveness for home and workplace use.