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The LEAP™ Gesture Interface Device and Take-Home Laparoscopic Simulators: A Study of Construct and Concurrent
Roland W Partridge1, Fraser S Brown2, Paul M Brennan3
1Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, UK RolandPartridge@nhs.net.
Surgical Innovation
|July 17, 2015
Summary
The LEAP infrared motion tracking device can distinguish expert from novice laparoscopic simulator performance. However, its tracking consistency and concurrent validity with other methods require improvement for take-home simulators.
Area of Science:
- Medical Simulation
- Surgical Technology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Objective performance feedback enhances surgical simulator training.
- Affordable take-home simulators require reliable, objective metrics.
- Infrared motion tracking offers potential for objective feedback in laparoscopic surgery training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the LEAP™ infrared motion tracking device for mapping laparoscopic instrument movement.
- To assess LEAP's potential for providing objective performance feedback in simulated laparoscopic environments.
- To determine LEAP's construct and concurrent validity compared to established methods.
Main Methods:
- LEAP and InsTrac visual tracking tools simultaneously recorded expert and novice performances on a standardized laparoscopic task.
- Construct validity was assessed by the ability to differentiate between expert and novice groups.
- Concurrent validity was evaluated by correlating LEAP metrics with InsTrac data.
Main Results:
- LEAP demonstrated significant differences between experts and novices in instrument path distance, speed, acceleration, motion smoothness, and inter-instrument distance.
- Only instrument path distance showed correlation between LEAP and InsTrac (novices: r = .663; experts: r = .536).
- LEAP exhibited poor tracking consistency, with hands un-tracked for an average of 31.9% of the time.
Conclusions:
- The LEAP device successfully tracks instrument movement and distinguishes between novice and expert laparoscopic simulator performance (construct validity).
- Concurrent validity with InsTrac was limited to instrument path distance and time.
- Significant limitations in tracking consistency and concurrent validity need addressing before LEAP can be recommended for objective metrics in take-home simulators.
