Surgeon’s Perception of Soft Tissue Constraints and Distance-to-Break in a Simulated Minimally Invasive Surgery Task

Abstract

Accurately perceiving biomechanical properties of tissues is imperative for minimizing tissue trauma and preventable injuries in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Research has demonstrated that novice observers are able to perceive and use the higher-order mechanical information in compliant, deformable materials which denotes the point at which the material will fail, or break, known as Distance -to-Break (DTB). The present study explored the effect of experience on the perception of DTB. Specifically, this study investigated whether surgeons are able to perceive and utilize DTB in compliant tissue materials more precisely than novices. Using a simulated probing task, results demonstrated that surgeons were more sensitive to DTB, were more accurate at estimating the point at which materials would fail, and were more accurate at applying force onto materials without breaking them. Findings underscore the importance of haptic invariants such as DTB in surgical tasks and the efficacy of using simulators to train haptic skills.