Studying the Usability of Forbidden Region Virtual Fixtures for Safer Robotic Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery

Abstract

Forbidden Region Virtual Fixture (FRVF) have been researched in recent years to improve the safety of RAMIS. In fact, most of the commercially available RAMIS systems, such as the da Vinci Surgical Sys- tem, are currently lacking haptic interfaces, limiting the perception of the surgeon of the patient’s anatomy and overburdening the visual channel [1]. The absence of haptic feedback can compromise the procedure’s safety as the surgeon is unaware of the force applied with the instrument on sensitive anatomical structures. Moreover, especially for novice surgeons who are not proficient in the control of the surgical robot, the unnotified collision of the surgical tools with the patient’s anatomy is an additional risk factor. FRVF can prevent the surgical instruments from getting excessively close to sensitive anatomical structure by returning a feedback force to the surgeon, who is notified of the proximity and can move the instrument in a safer position. Although FRVF is a promising technique, there are con- flicting opinions among surgeons on their real usability, as the force might disturb the execution of the procedure. In this letter, we present a user study on a simplified FRVF scenario, with the aim of evaluating the system’s effectiveness and usability.