Field experiment of a telesurgery system using a surgical robot with haptic feedback

Area of Science:

• Robotics in Medicine
• Surgical Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Telerobotic surgery offers remote surgical capabilities but faces challenges in safety and surgeon feedback.
• Haptic feedback systems aim to provide tactile sensations during robotic procedures, potentially enhancing surgeon control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of haptic feedback in improving safety and usefulness in telesurgery.
• To assess the impact of haptic feedback on surgical performance and surgeon experience in a remote robotic surgery setting.

Main Methods:

• A surgeon console and patient cart were set up at distinct locations (140 km apart) for remote telerobotic surgery experiments.
• Surgeons performed simulated surgical tasks, grasping an organ in an animal model, while blinded to haptic feedback conditions.
• Task completion time, accuracy, grasping force, and system usability were measured and compared between remote and local operations, and across different haptic feedback levels.

Main Results:

• Remote operations showed significantly longer task completion times and lower system usability compared to local operations.
• No significant differences in task accuracy or average grasping force were found between surgeon locations.
• Haptic feedback resulted in significantly weaker grasping forces, particularly for experienced surgeons, suggesting improved control over tissue manipulation.

Conclusions:

• Haptic feedback is a valuable tool for enabling surgeons to apply appropriate grasping forces in both local and remote telerobotic surgery.
• The integration of haptic feedback is crucial for enhancing safety and advancing the capabilities of robotic telesurgery.