Simulation-Based Open Surgery Training System (SOSTS)

This proposal is for Phase II development of a PC-based open surgical trainer that will provide (1) training for elements of common and trauma-centric surgical tasks involving skills that are not necessarily trained for or available in the right hands at the right time in combat and (2) the scientific basis for a trainer that provides the most effective combination of visual and haptic feedback possible within time/resource constraints. The tasks are transportable to a variety of procedures. The proposed project could thus significantly influence development of surgical training simulators. During Phase I, we established the haptic and visual feedback requirements for two trauma-related open surgical skills, and assessed how such training could be augmented with multisensory, psychophysics-centric concepts. During Phase II, we propose to build a prototype simulator during Year 1, and perform testing during Year 2 to determine the optimal combination of visual and haptic feedback needed for effective transfer of training for two tasks: wound debridement and pin placement for tibial fracture stabilization. These procedures have become increasingly necessary in recent conflicts, and offer very different sensory feedback qualities, thereby allowing exploration of a wide range of haptics needs for effective surgical training.