Haptic/visual perception of virtual viscoelastic tissue

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管在开发用于指导手术的医学成像设备方面取得了快速进展，但相对而言，很少有人关注图像和手术干预之间的基本感知-运动和认知过程。实现这样的理解，并将其应用于开发仪器和刺激器，以提高患者安全和促进培训是我研究的长期目标。在NIBIB的持续资助下，我目前的心理物理学研究，关于超声图像对外科手术的指导，显示了可视化技术如何影响目标的定位并指导外科医生的行动。K99将允许我过渡到一个研究多模态感知引导动作的项目，除了视觉之外，还结合了触觉（主动触摸）。在这种支持下，我将发展模拟软组织的技术技能，既可以通过最先进的触觉设备实现力反馈，也可以通过虚拟超声显示。我的研究能力将在博士的指导下发展。Roberta Klatzky, Ralph Hollis, George Stetten（导师）和Kenji Shimada（顾问）。我的具体目标是：(1)建立一个测试平台，用于模拟具有弹性和粘性特性的虚拟材料的行为，使用触觉和视觉界面；(2)使用模拟来确定如何从触觉和视觉线索，单独和组合感知粘弹性特性。触觉仿真将基于张量-质量模型，该模型在模拟粘弹性行为方面非常有效。视觉模拟将显示内部组织变形的可见效果。实验将进行：(1)确定力/扭矩线索如何从探索性相互作用中产生，并产生粘弹性感知；(2)检验这种感知在视觉上也来源于超声样显示中变形的时空模式的假设；(3)测量触觉和视觉线索如何在多模态环境中组合和加权，以共同确定感知的粘弹性。我的研究结果将引导我们了解医生是如何利用他们的触觉以及来自医学成像的视觉信息来感知软组织并与之互动的。这项研究可以促进外科训练技术的发展，并帮助外科医生进行有效的互动。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Whereas there have been rapid advances in developing devices for medical imaging to guide surgery, relatively little attention has been paid to the basic perceptual-motor and cognitive processes that mediate between the image and the surgical intervention. Achieving such an understanding and applying it to develop instruments and stimulators to improve patient safety and facilitate training are long-term goals of my research. Under ongoing NIBIB funding, my current psychophysical research, on the guidance of surgical procedures by ultrasound images, has shown how visualization techniques influence localization of targets and direct the surgeon's actions. The K99 will allow me to transition to a program that studies multimodal perceptually guided action, by incorporating haptics (active touch) in addition to vision. Under this support I will develop technical skills in simulating soft tissue with both force feedback, as realized in a state-of-the-art haptic device, and a virtual ultrasound display. My enhanced research capabilities will be developed under the supervision of Drs. Roberta Klatzky, Ralph Hollis, George Stetten (mentors), and Kenji Shimada (consultant). My specific aims are: (1) to build a testbed for simulation of behavior of virtual materials that have both elastic and viscous properties, using both haptic and visual interfaces; (2) to use the simulations to determine how viscoelastic properties are perceived from haptic and visual cues, alone and in combination. The haptic simulation will be based on tensor-mass models, found highly effective in simulating viscoelastic behaviors. The visual simulation will show the visible effects of internal tissue deformation. Experiments will be conducted to (1) determine how force/torque cues arise from exploratory interactions and give rise to the perception of viscoelasticity; (2) to test the hypothesis that this percept is also visually derived from the spatiotemporal pattern of deformation in ultrasound-like displays; (3) to measure how haptic and visual cues are combined and weighted in a multi-modal context to co-determine perceived viscoelasticity. The results of my research will lead to an understanding of how physicians perceive and interact with soft tissue using their sense of touch, together with visual information from medical imaging. The research can foster the development of technologies for surgical training and assist the surgeon toward effective interaction.