Laparoscopic surgery is safer, less invasive, and more cost-effective than open-surgery techniques. Laparoscopic surgeons access the area they are operating on by inserting ports called trocars into the patient’s abdomen, providing a hole that surgical instruments can pass though. Trocar insertion procedures are one of the leading causes of patient injury and result in a high surgical error rate. Improper trocar insertion can cause significant health issues such as bowel perforation and other bodily injuries. Errors in trocar insertion can be greatly reduced by adequately training surgeons on the proper insertion method. However, limited technologies exist within the medical field to practice this procedure outside the operating room.
Dr. Ann Majewicz Fey and her team have developed a device that provides touch feedback in order to train individuals on the best way to insert trocars. Their device, the Haptic Trocar Insertion Training Tool is designed to be used in conjunction with a popular trocar insertion simulation called the Stewart platform. The haptic device provides the trainee with the same approximate sensations of the force and torque that they would experience during an actual surgery. The system can be produced at a low cost and manufactured as a portable instrument. The Haptic Trocar Insertion Training Tool provides proper training for surgeons without direct risk to a patient, and shows potential for use in other types of surgical procedures.
Dr. Fey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Robert and Francis Stark Centennial Fellowship in Engineering at UT Austin with primary research interests in robotics and intelligent mechanical systems. Dr. Fey has authored/co-authored numerous technical publications within her field and is an associate editor for the IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Her research has broad applications in how human/robotic systems can be used to improve the delivery of surgical and interventional care, both for the patient and the provider.