ABSTRACT
Objectives
With the increase in robot-assisted cases, recording the quantifiable dexterity of surgeons is essential for proficiency evaluations. The present study employs sensor-based kinematics and recorded surgeon experience for evaluating a new haptic device.
Methods
Thirty surgeons performed a task simulating micromanipulation with neuroArmPLUSHD and two commercially available hand-controllers. The surgical performance was evaluated based on subjective measures obtained from survey and objective features derived from the sensors. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the hand-controllers and regression analysis was used to identify the key features and develop a machine learning model for surgical skill assessment.
Findings
MANCOVA tests on objective features demonstrated significance (α = 0.05) for time (p = 0.02), errors (p = 0.01), distance (p = 0.03), clutch incidents (p = 0.03), and forces (p = 0.00). The majority of metrics were in favor of neuroArmPLUSHD. The surgeons found it smoother, more comfortable, less tiring, and easier to maneuver with more realistic force feedback. The ensemble machine learning model trained with 5-fold cross-validation showed an accuracy (SD) of 0.78 (0.15) in surgeon skill classification.
Conclusions
This study validates the importance of incorporating a superior haptic device in telerobotic surgery for standardization of surgical education and patient care.
Declaration of interest
A Baghdadi is a recipient of the Eyes High Post-doctoral fellowship award, University of Calgary. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.
Reviewer disclosures
Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.
Supplementary material
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.