Methods and apparatus for palpation simulation

• US 7,289,106 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2004
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Medical Inc (Immersion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Immersion Medical Inc (Immersion Corporation)
• Inventors: Cohen, Robert, Cunningham, Richard L., Brown, J. Michael, Bailey, David, Falk, Robert B., Wu, Victor, Otaduy, Miguel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nitin I.
• Application Number:
  US10/846,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/158, 345160-176, 345/905, 345/904, 345/157, 345/159, 345/178, 345/184, 434/262, 600/587
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/313 for introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/285 for injections, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, sigmoidscopy, insertion of contraceptive devices or enemas

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a manipulandum, a housing, a sensor and an actuator. The housing has a palpation region spaced apart from the manipulandum. The sensor is coupled to the palpation region of the housing. The sensor is configured to send a signal based on a palpation of the palpation region of the housing. The actuator is coupled to the manipulandum. The actuator is configured to send haptic output to the manipulandum based on the signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a manipulandum;

a housing having a palpation region to be palpated, the palpation region of the housing being spaced apart from the manipulandum;

a first sensor coupled to the palpation region of the housing, the sensor configured to send a signal based on a palpation of the palpation region of the housing;

a second sensor coupled to the manipulandum, the second sensor configured to send a signal based on a position of the manipulandum; and

an actuator coupled to the manipulandum, the actuator configured to send haptic output to the manipulandum based on the signal from the first sensor and the signal from the second sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manipulandum includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the manipulandum being disposed within an interaction region of the housing different from the palpation region of the housing, the second portion of the manipulandum being coupled to the palpation region of the manipulandum.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the manipulandum being a simulated medical device, the palpation region of the housing being a simulated tissue, the apparatus further comprising:

a processor configured to provide signals associated with display of a virtual environment, the signals associated with the virtual environment being based on a position of the simulated medical device and the signal from the sensor associated with the palpation of the simulated tissue.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the manipulandum includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the manipulandum being disposed within an interaction region of the housing different from the palpation region of the housing, the second portion of the manipulandum being coupled to the palpation region of the housing,

the second portion of the manipulandum having an expandable portion configured to contact directly the palpation region of the housing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the manipulandum has a first configuration and a second configuration different from the first configuration,

the first configuration of the manipulandum configured to simulate a dissector endoscope device associated with a vein harvesting medical procedure,

the second configuration of the manipulandum configured to simulate an electrocautery endoscope device associated with the vein harvesting medical procedure.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a manipulandum;

a housing having a palpation region to be palpated, the palpation region of the housing being spaced apart from the manipulandum;

a sensor coupled to the palpation region of the housing, the sensor configured to send a signal based on a palpation of the palpation region of the housing; and

an actuator coupled to the manipulandum, the actuator configured to send haptic output to the manipulandum based on the signal,

wherein the manipulandum is a simulated medical device, the palpation region of the housing is a simulated tissue, and the apparatus further comprises;

a processor configured to provide signals associated with display of a virtual environment, the signals associated with the virtual environment being based on a position of the simulated medical device and the signal from the sensor associated with the palpation of the simulated tissue,

the virtual environment having an interior view of a virtual body portion associated with the simulated tissue, the virtual environment including a virtual medical device and the virtual body portion, movement of the virtual medical device being based on movement of the simulated medical device, movement of the virtual body portion being based on palpation of the simulated tissue.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a manipulandum;

a housing having a palpation region to be palpated, the palpation region of the housing being spaced apart from the manipulandum;

a sensor coupled to the palpation region of the housing, the sensor configured to send a signal based on a palpation of the palpation region of the housing; and

an actuator coupled to the manipulandum, the actuator configured to send haptic output to the manipulandum based on the signal,

wherein the manipulandum is a simulated medical device, the palpation region of the housing is a simulated tissue, and the apparatus further comprises;

a processor configured to provide signals associated with display of a virtual environment, the signals associated with the virtual environment being based on a position of the simulated medical device and the signal from the sensor associated with the palpation of the simulated tissue,

the virtual environment having an interior view of a virtual body portion associated with the simulated tissue, the virtual environment including a virtual medical device and the virtual body portion, movement of the virtual medical device and movement of the virtual body portion being based on movement of the simulated medical device and palpation of the simulated tissue.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a palpation region to be palpated and an interface region different from the palpation region;

a manipulandum having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of the manipulandum coupled to the interface region of the housing, the second portion of the manipulandum being spaced apart from the palpation region of the housing and being moveable such that a force is translated to the palpation region of the housing when the manipulandum is moved; and

an actuator coupled to the manipulandum, the actuator configured to send haptic output to the manipulandum,

wherein the manipulandum is a simulated medical device, the palpation region of the housing is a simulated tissue, and the apparatus further comprises;

a first sensor coupled to the palpation region of the simulated tissue, the sensor configured to send a signal based on a palpation of the simulated tissue; and

a processor configured to provide signals associated with display of a virtual environment, the signals associated with the virtual environment being based on a position of the simulated medical device and the signal from the sensor associated with the palpation of the simulated tissue.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a second sensor coupled to the manipulandum, the second sensor configured to send a signal based on a position of the manipulandum, and

the actuator configured to send the haptic output to the manipulandum based on the signal from the first sensor and the signal from the second sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, the actuator being a first actuator, the apparatus further comprising:

a second sensor coupled to the manipulandum, the second sensor configured to send a signal based on a position of the second portion of the manipulandum; and

a second actuator coupled to the palpation region of the housing, the second actuator configured to send haptic output to the palpation region of the housing based on the signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the second portion of the manipulandum has an expandable portion configured to contact directly the palpation region of the housing.

12. The apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the virtual environment has an interior view of a virtual body portion associated with the simulated tissue, the virtual environment includes a virtual medical device and the virtual body portion, movement of the virtual medical device is based on movement of the simulated medical device, and movement of the virtual body portion is based on palpation of the simulated tissue.

13. The apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the virtual environment has an interior view of a virtual body portion associated with the simulated tissue, the virtual environment includes a virtual medical device and the virtual body portion, and movement of the virtual medical device and movement of the virtual body portion are being based on movement of the simulated medical device and palpation of the simulated tissue.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the manipulandum has a first configuration and a second configuration different from the first configuration,

the first configuration of the manipulandum configured to simulate a dissector endoscope device associated with a vein harvesting medical procedure,

the second configuration of the manipulandum configured to simulate an electrocautery endoscope device associated with the vein harvesting medical procedure.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving a first signal associated with a position of a manipulandum disposed within an interface region of a housing, the housing having a palpation region to be palpated the palpation region different from the interface region;

receiving a second signal associated with a palpation of the palpation region of the housing;

sending a third signal to a first actuator coupled to the manipulandum based on the first signal and the second signal, the actuator configured to send a haptic force to the manipulandum based on the third signal; and

sending a signal to a second actuator coupled to the palpation region of the housing based on the first signal, the second actuator configured to send a haptic force to the manipulandum based on the signal sent to the second actuator.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sending signals associated with display of a virtual environment based on the first signal and the second signal.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a first signal associated with a position of a manipulandum disposed within an interface region of a housing, the housing having a palpation region to be palpated the palpation region different from the interface region;

receiving a second signal associated with a palpation of the palpation region of the housing; and

sending a third signal to an actuator coupled to the manipulandum based on the first signal and the second signal, the actuator configured to send a haptic force to the manipulandum based on the third signal,

wherein the manipulandum being a simulated medical device, the housing being a simulated tissue, the method further comprising;

sending signals associated with display of a virtual environment based on the first signal and the second signal such that the virtual environment has an interior view of a virtual body portion associated with the simulated tissue, the virtual environment including a virtual medical device and the virtual body portion, movement of the virtual medical device being based on the first signal, movement of the virtual body portion being based on the second signal.