Interventional Radiology is a rapidly expanding speciality using minimally invasive techniques to treat a multitude of clinical problems. Work in progress aims to create an affordable virtual training tool to reduce training times and patient risk during a trainee practitioners learning cycle. The procedure of arterial catheterisation has been broken down into a number of subtasks, one of which requires an operator to locate the femoral artery pulse by palpation. This is performed in preparation for a needle insertion to allow the entry of a guide wire and catheter into the patient.
Using both visual, force, and tactile feedback the task of palpation for a pulse is being simulated as a first step to the Interventional radiology procedure.
Fig. Screen shots of the visual environment
Force Feedback
Currently using a modified version of the low cost falcon force feedback device, the patient's body can be palpated. Pulsing can be felt when the femoral artery is palpated.
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| Fig. Original and modified Falcon device | |
Tactile Feedback
Investigation into the tactile stimulation of the palpating fingertips has to date used three approaches. These are piezoelectric pads, micro speakers and use of a pin array device.
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| Fig. Piezoelectric pads, micro speaker and pin array devices. | |||
This project is performed in collaboration with Bangor University, Wales and the CRaIVE group (Collaborators in Radiological Intervention in Virtual Environments). For more information of the approaches summarised above please read the most recent publication.
Links
Bangor University Visualisation and Medical Graphics Group
CRaIVE
Project publications
T. R. Coles, N. W. John, D. A. Gould, and D. G. Caldwell, "Haptic Palpation for the Femoral Pulse in Virtual Interventional Radiology," Advances in Computer-Human Interaction, 2009 Second International Conference on, pp. 193-198, 2009.
