A mechanistic force model for simulating haptics of hand-held bone burring operations

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Surgical Simulation

Background:

• Bone burring is a critical surgical procedure involving a hand-held tool.
• Surgeon's perceived force is influenced by tool orientation and motion during bone burring.
• Accurate force prediction is essential for realistic haptic feedback in virtual reality (VR) surgical simulations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a mechanistic model for predicting forces during bone burring.
• To apply this model for enhancing haptic feedback in VR surgical simulations.
• To investigate the relationship between cutting parameters and perceived forces.

Main Methods:

• Adapted machining theory concepts of specific cutting energy and material removal rate.
• Developed a 3D model to calculate force distribution on a spherical tool surface.
• Utilized a design of experiments with varying tool cutting angles and feed motions for calibration and validation.

Main Results:

• Model predictions demonstrated similar trends to experimental force patterns, despite some variance.
• Identified dominant frequencies of oscillating force components, independent of cutting instances.
• The oscillating force component can be applied as a uniform background signal.

Conclusions:

• The developed mechanistic model effectively predicts bone burring forces.
• The model has significant potential for improving haptic feedback in VR surgical simulations.
• Findings are applicable to abrasive burrs and transferable to other surgical simulation scenarios.