Utilizing the Leap Motion Controller for skill tracking in surgical training: solving line-of-sight issues

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education Technology
• Medical Simulation
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) demands complex skills, necessitating effective training methods.
• Current training tools often face limitations in combining precise instrument tracking with realistic practice scenarios due to cost and setup complexity.
• The Leap Motion Controller (LMC) offers precise motion tracking but has been hindered by line-of-sight issues in previous surgical training applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel interface for the Leap Motion Controller (LMC) to overcome line-of-sight limitations in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) instrument tracking.
• To assess the efficacy of this new setup in improving surgical training metrics.

Main Methods:

• A new interface was designed for the LMC, utilizing a single vertical barrier to conceal the task while maintaining the LMC's clear horizontal view of the surgical instrument.
• Performance was evaluated using metrics such as time to task completion and total instrument path length.
• Twenty-eight medical students completed 40 trials each using the developed system.

Main Results:

• The LMC system effectively resolved line-of-sight issues, providing precise instrument tracking.
• Significant improvements were observed in participants' performance, with task completion time decreasing from 61s to 19s and path length from 2390mm to 574mm.
• Performance metrics plateaued after approximately 20 trials, indicating a learning curve and skill acquisition.

Conclusions:

• The developed LMC interface successfully enables precise tracking of surgical instruments, overcoming prior limitations.
• This affordable and simple setup facilitates real-time monitoring, continuous movement tracking, and tactile interaction, making it suitable for diverse MIS training environments.
• The system presents a promising solution for both traditional and home-based MIS training, particularly in resource-limited settings.