Psychomotor skills development for Veress needle placement using a virtual reality and haptics-based simulator

Area of Science:

• Surgical Simulation
• Medical Education Technology
• Virtual Reality in Medicine

Background:

• Veress needle (VN) insertion is critical for laparoscopic surgery, but improper technique can lead to severe intra-abdominal injuries.
• Cognitive and psychomotor skills training is essential for safe VN insertion.
• Virtual reality (VR) and haptic technologies offer promising avenues for realistic surgical simulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel VR and haptic surgical simulator for Veress needle insertion training.
• To assess the simulator's effectiveness in teaching correct abdominal wall puncture and realistic tactile feedback.
• To compare two versions of the simulator utilizing different haptic toolkits (OpenHaptics and CHAI3D).

Main Methods:

• Development of a VR and haptic simulator for VN insertion with procedural and realistic training capabilities.
• Implementation of two simulator versions: one using OpenHaptics (OH) Toolkit, the other using CHAI3D.
• Evaluation of learning effects through performance indexes (time, angle error, organ contacts) in experienced urologists and students.

Main Results:

• General improvement in performance indexes observed by the second task repetition for both experienced urologists and students.
• The OH-based simulator offered more precise haptic feedback, while the CHAI3D version provided better visualization for easier procedure execution.
• Participants appreciated both simulator implementations, with the System Usability Scale (SUS) indicating 'good' usability.

Conclusions:

• The haptics-based VR simulator shows significant potential as a valuable resource for fundamental urological training.
• It aids in mastering pneumoperitoneum acquisition and enhances psychomotor skill development.
• The simulator enables extended, effective training without compromising patient safety.