Compact Haptic Mixed Reality Simulator with Linear Electromotor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laparoscopy simulators are bulky, expensive, and difficult to maintain, with limited adaptability for simulating various anatomies and procedures, often requiring cumbersome setup and calibration, and fail to provide realistic haptic feedback, especially for complex interactions with soft tissues.
Innovation Solution
A compact medical simulator system with a rotatable anatomy model and linear electromagnetic motor arrangement, allowing for detachable and interchangeable trocars and instruments, which provides realistic haptic feedback by calculating and transmitting axial force signals based on the interaction between virtual and physical objects, enabling simulation of diverse surgical procedures without the need for disposable anatomy models.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional laparoscopy simulators use passive feedback VR/AR systems with anatomy models, then training scenarios can be simulated, but haptic feedback is mismatched and realism is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical haptic feedback systems with a linear electromagnetic motor that uses electromagnetic fields to generate force feedback. This substitution allows for more precise and adaptable haptic feedback while maintaining versatility across different anatomies and procedures through software control rather than mechanical reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts haptic feedback parameters in real-time based on the virtual anatomy model state, allowing the same physical simulator to provide customized haptic feedback for different anatomies and procedural stages without physical reconfiguration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If VR/AR simulation systems include human anatomy models in real size, then training realism improves, but system size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal simulator platform where a single physical anatomy model can simulate multiple virtual anatomies and procedures through software control. The linear electromagnetic motor serves multiple functions: providing haptic feedback, enabling model rotation, and supporting interchangeable trocars and instruments, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining training versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a simplified physical anatomy model that copies the essential features needed for training while the virtual reality environment provides the complete anatomical detail and variability. This separation allows the physical model to remain compact while still supporting diverse training scenarios through virtual representation.
3Ease of operation
If laparoscopy simulators use fixed instrument configurations, then setup is simplified, but adaptability for different procedures is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the instrument system into interchangeable trocars and instruments that can be independently selected and attached to the anatomy model. This segmentation allows for easy setup by simply attaching the required components rather than configuring a fixed system, while providing broad adaptability for different procedures through component interchangeability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters such as instrument type, trocar position, and haptic feedback characteristics through software control rather than physical reconfiguration. This allows the same hardware setup to support multiple procedures by adjusting control parameters, maintaining ease of operation while enhancing adaptability.
4Reliability
If traditional simulators use disposable anatomy models, then realism for each session is maintained, but cost and waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discarding disposable anatomy models after each use, the patent recovers and reuses a single durable physical model that can be sterilized and reused across multiple sessions. The system maintains realism through virtual reality rendering and haptic feedback rather than relying on disposable physical anatomies, eliminating waste while maintaining simulation quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of anatomies through software rather than relying on physical disposable models. The physical anatomy model serves as a simplified base that is reused, while the virtual reality environment provides the detailed anatomical representations that would otherwise require multiple disposable models. This copying approach maintains realism without the waste associated with disposable anatomies.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system offers a cost-effective, versatile, and easy-to-maintain solution for realistic haptic feedback in laparoscopy training, allowing for simulation of various anatomies and procedures with improved realism and reduced setup complexity, enhancing the training experience for surgeons.
Implementation Method 1
said instrument hosting duct and said instrument replicate being arranged to form together a linear electromagnetic motor
Data Source
AI summary
A compact and versatile mixed reality simulator system and methods may comprise a mixed reality processing engine and a haptic control engine to control a linear electromagnetic motor (LEM) of 1 degree of freedom made of a handheld instrument replicate and a trocar-like instrument hosting duct. The compact and versatile mixed reality simulator system may comprise multiple interchangeable instrument hosting ducts and handheld instrument replicates and the mixed reality processing engine may automatically detect, from sensors, which instrument replicate has been inserted in which duct. The mixed reality processing engine may detect a virtual contact between the handheld instrument replicate and a virtual object in a mixed reality scenario. The mixed reality processing engine may calculate with a real-time solver the kinesthetic force feedback signal to power the LEM as a function of the position and orientation of the instrument tracked from sensors, and of the position, orientation and material property of the virtual object as it deforms due to the virtual contact according to the mixed reality scenario. The mixed reality processing engine may adapt in real¬ time the haptic feedback by resealing its magnitude, and/or combining it with a vibration signal, possibly with an additional vibrotactile actuator arrangement. The mixed reality processing engine may jointly adapt the haptic feedback signal and the virtual reality scene rendering for a more realistic mixed reality experience with a haptic retargeting method such as space warping.