Technology not only provides human beings with a new way of life, but it can also reduce the dangers they face in everyday life. The latest example of this comes from
SensAble Technologies, which has developed a haptically-enabled computer simulation system for testing physician competency in administering spinal anesthesia for the Cork University Hospital.
A spinal procedure gone wrong can result in irreversible injury to the patient. But the physicians need to practice their skills before they can start operating upon the patients. So, instead taking a chance with the patients, these physicians can now take advantage of haptic devices and toolkits to hone their operating skills.
The company has developed a virtual reality computer-based simulator with which anesthetists hold a SensAble haptic device. With the help of 3D computer screens, they can perform a lumbar puncture procedure on the computer model. The haptic device literally pushes back on the user’s hand so they feel surface tension as the spinal needle meets the skin.
“With today’s haptic devices and toolkits it’s possible to create computer-based systems that mimic and quantify even the most subconscious aspects of human touch,” said Dr. David Chen, chief technology officer of SensAble Technologies, in a release. “The MedCAP project showcases the invaluable role that haptically-enabled simulators can play in medical certification, beyond its already-demonstrated role in training – and the sophistication that SensAble’s haptics technology allows.”
The haptic device also offers various viscosities of tissue, ligaments, cerebrospinal fluid and dura mater, the tough outer layer of the meninges surrounding the spinal cord. The haptic device also has the ability to push back the user’s hand, to make them feel surface tension as the spinal needle meets the skin.
Recently, the company
announced that Dental Prosthetic Services, Inc. of Cedar Rapids, Iowa has become the first member of the Technical Research Consortium (TEREC), a North American association of dental laboratories, to deploy the SensAble Dental Lab System (SDLS). A unique integrated CAD/CAM solution that includes a “3D Virtual Touch” stylus, the SensAble system is used to scan, design and fabricate dental restorations.
