Virtual Basic Laparoscopic Skill Trainer (VBLaST)

Introduction: 

Working closely with the Fundamentals in Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) committee, Harvard Medical School and Tufts University, this project aims at developing and validating a virtual reality simulator for the FLS tasks (peg transfer, pattern cutting, ligating loop, suturing with intracorporeal and extracorporeal knot tying).

Focus Area: 
Haptics and Virtual Reality
Real-time Computational Algorithms

Peg Transfer

Peg transfer (PT) is one of the tasks in FLS (Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery) for practicing transfer of six pegs from one post to another in a both hands using surgical tools. A virtual basic laparoscopic skill trainer (VBLaST©) has been developed to provide a tool for computerized objective assessment. VBLaST-PT© allows the user to practice the peg transfer procedure within a virtual environment. The user’s performance is recorded in real time and automatically evaluated in terms of completion time, and errors during cutting.


Pattern Cutting

Pattern cutting (PC) is one of the tasks in FLS (Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery) for practicing cutting a gauze along a designated pattern (black circle) with laparoscopic grasper and scissor. A virtual basic laparoscopic skill trainer (VBLaST©) has been developed to provide a tool for computerized objective assessment. VBLaST-PC© allows the user to practice the pattern cutting procedure within a virtual environment. The user’s performance is recorded in real time and automatically evaluated in terms of completion time, and errors during cutting.


Ligation Loop

Ligating loop (LL) is one of the tasks in FLS (Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery) for practicing placement of an endoloop. A virtual basic laparoscopic skill trainer (VBLaST©) has been developed to provide a tool for computerized objective assessment. VBLaST-LL© allows the user to practice the ligating loop procedure within a virtual environment. The user’s performance is recorded in real time and automatically evaluated in terms of completion time, and errors during cutting.


Intracorporeal Suturing

 

VBLaST-SS: A virtual simulator for the suturing with intracorporeal knot-tying procedure, side-by-side with the one performed in the FLS box
VBLaST-SS: A virtual simulator for the suturing with intracorporeal knot-tying procedure, side-by-side with the one performed in the FLS box

Surgical Suturing (SS) is one of tasks in FLS (Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery) for practicing intracorporeal suturing skills with laparoscopic graspers. A virtual basic laparoscopic skill trainer (VBLaST©) has been developed to provide a tool for computerized objective assessment. VBLaST-SS© allows surgical suturing (SS) to be performed within a virtual environment. The novel computer software has been coupled with innovative hardware intefaces. Performance metrics are recorded in real time and automatically evaluated in terms of completion time, and errors during cutting.

Project Sponsor: 
https://www.nih.gov/
Grant Name: 
NIH/NIBIB R01 EB014305