Playing with SHULE: Surgical Haptic Learning Environment

Playing with SHULE:Surgical Haptic Learning Environment

Track 4. Gamification ecosystems

Gonzalo Esteban, Camino Fernandez, Miguel Angel Conde and Francisco J. Garcıa-PenalvoRobotics Group. University of Leon

TEEM’14, SalamancaOctober 2nd , 2014

IntroductionBackground

SHULE FrameworkConclusions

Outline

1 Introduction

2 Background

3 SHULE Framework

4 Conclusions

Miguel Angel Conde (Robotics Group. University of Leon) Playing with SHULE: Surgical Haptic Learning Environment 2 / 19



ContextObjectives

Context

Learning a surgical procedure requires:

1 Technical knowledge2 Hours of practice

The apprenticeship model has been thetraditional methodology used in thefield

Practice over physical modelsHas restrictions: economic, logistic,ethical, . . .




ContextObjectives

Context

Modern learning methodologiesincludes Virtual Reality (VR)environments

Allows to train any surgicalprocedureProvides a secure and error-proofenvironment

Haptic interfaces add great value toVR simulators

Simulate physical properties oftissues and organs, train surgicalskills, replicate surgical procedures,. . .

Source: www.wired.com




ContextObjectives

SHULE

We are developing SHULE (Surgical Haptic Learning Environment)

Teaching/learning tool for surgery

Uses haptic simulators, and focuses on serious games

Aims to improve the development time of surgery simulators




Learning surgeryTechniquesHaptic simulationSerious games

Outline

1 Introduction

2 Background

3 SHULE Framework

4 Conclusions





Learning surgery

Based on sensorial information (sight, hearing and mainly touch)

Main goal: acquire a perfect coordination of visual and manual skills

Achieved through the experience obtained during the academictrainingGoes beyond books and audiovisual contents and focuses ondeveloping the psychomotor skills

Traditional methodology used: apprenticeship model

Students observe how the expertperforms a surgical procedure, solater they practice until they becomecomfortable with a real environmentRequirements and demands increasegraduallyWorking environment must bere-adapted to such new needs





Physical simulation

Use of mannequins, cadavers or livinganimals

Advantages:

Relative low cost and versatility

Disadvantages:

Availability and material reuseLack of a feedback component toknow and feel the anatomy of a realtissue or organIn some cases, ethical problems whenusing cadavers or living animals

Is becoming obsolete in some casescenarios





Virtual Reality simulation

Use of computer simulations anddifferent hardware devices

Tricks the user’s sensorial channelsto produce the illusion of being in avirtual environmentRelies on the use of different devicesand techniques

Advantages:

Availability for training and repeatingany surgical procedure (even themost unusual)Safety and error prevention

Disadvantages:

Still not useful in some case scenarios

Source: Simbionix

Source: VirtaMed





Virtual Reality simulation

Sometimes the sense of sight is not enough to provide a goodsimulation

Sense of touch cover this gap through haptic technology

Haptics

Interaction with the sense of touch with the intention to perceive ormanipulate objects

Haptic technology achieve this throughforce feedback

Recreate the physical and materialproperties of objects: shape, texture,weight, . . .





Haptic Simulation

Use of haptic technology in a VRsimulator

Improves the learning curve of somesurgical procedures by allowing to trainthe psychomotor skills

Students can measure the patient’spulse rate and the level of hardnessof a tissue or organ, know how tohandle surgical tools, . . .

Is currently used in several fields:

Simulate the physical properties oftissues and organsReplicate surgical procedures:laparoscopy, endoscopy, bone surgery,palpation, puncture, . . .

Source: Salisbury Robotics (Stanford)

Source: Voxel-Man





Serious games

VR simulators need some kind of mechanism to motivate the user touse itGamification might be the key

gamification + interactive application = serious game

Can be applied to surgery, but might require a validation stage

Source: www.seriousgamesmarket.com





Flaws found

VR simulators lack of a standard methodology to teach and/or learnsurgery

Can be considered “static”

Designed with a single purpose: train a single or a few surgicalproceduresCan’t add the feedback obtained from the use

Current works in the field are isolated between each other

Different programming libraries and using off-the-shelf haptics

Haptic device integration is not mature enough




OverviewIntegration

Outline

1 Introduction

2 Background

3 SHULE Framework

4 Conclusions




OverviewIntegration

SHULE

An e-Learning system for teaching and learning surgical procedures

Combines haptic simulators with serious games




OverviewIntegration

Components

1 Teaching: allows an expert to generate customized surgical trainingscenarios

Describe the learning objects involving a surgical procedureConfigure the latter to collect information about the user’sperformancePrevents any communication problems between the experts and thedevelopers

2 Learning: load a surgical training scenario so students can practicewith it

Practice by playing a “serious game”Guide the student through the performanceEvaluates the performance and reports the user




OverviewIntegration

Implementation

SHULE has been developed into two components:

HLogic Controls the creation and executionof the surgical training scenarios

Written in C++ and is the coreof the frameworkProvides evaluation capabilities

HOgre Serious game platform for loadingthe surgical training scenarios

Written in C++ and based onthe OGRE3D game engineAdds supports to hapticinteraction




OverviewIntegration

Integration of tools

Main issue

Integrate SHULE with other systems in the educational environment tobe used as parts of a game

Need a virtual environment that:

1 Shows and compares the students’ results2 Allows the publication of such information to be used in educational

or professional contexts3 Should be represented in an institutional LMS4 Connection to the environment must be transparent to the users




OverviewIntegration

Integration of tools




Outline

1 Introduction

2 Background

3 SHULE Framework

4 Conclusions




Conclusions

Introduced the SHULE framework

Studied the background that leads to it → found some flaws in thearea that needs to be coveredDetailed its components and its implementation → HLogic andHOgre

Integrate SHULE with other systems in the educational environment

Used an LMS → MoodleInformation generated from the user’s performance in SHULE →Sent to the LMS to generate educational and entertaining content


Playing with SHULE: Surgical Haptic Learning Environment

Education

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