Design and development of a low cost grasping and torque haptic feedback system for spinal surgical training simulators

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Haptic feedback is the use of the sense of touch in a user interface design to provide information to an end user. There is a growing need for a haptic device that can provide the user with a virtual surgical tool that is capable of providing an accurate force and torque feedback OSSim Technologies is currently developing a VR training simulator for complex open spinal surgeries based on the current technological platform. Typical simulation spinal surgeries scenarios use manual virtual tools and it is desirable to haptically represent the frequent tasks of soft tissues grasping or the torque feedback arising from the inserting of pedicle screws and bolts during a spinal fusion. The motivation of this research project is to provide two additional degrees of freedom (DOF) to the existing haptic rendering virtual environment. In fact, while the actual knee surgery simulator, which includes a custom made 5-DOF from Commercial-Off-The-Shelf haptic devices, can provide force retroaction such as powered drilling and sawing through bones, it does not provide the range of capabilities required by open spinal surgeries procedures. The proposed approach is to increase the number of DOF, and to achieve a 6-DOF attachment haptic device. The 6-DOF is the combination of the existing actual 5-DOF components with a 1-DOF torque or 1-DOF grasping, custom attachments. The 1st DOF torque (roll axis) mechanism shall be designed and developed to provide feedback relating to the exerted torque in the twisting motion and the 2nd DOF grasping mechanism shall be able to characterize grasping tasks and generate force feedback that can be felt through a haptic interface device thereby allowing the medical residents to feel the stiffness of the spine soft tissues that is being grasped or cut. The outcome of this project will allow better training of resident orthopaedic surgeons thus leading to better patient care, reduced surgical errors, and lower healthcare costs