Haptic interface for palpation simulation

• US 7,864,164 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Medical Inc (Immersion Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Immersion Medical Inc (Immersion Corporation)
• Inventors: Cohen, Robert F., Feldman, Philip G., Dumas, Russell H., Cunningham, Richard L., Merril, Gregory L., Tasto, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nitin
• Application Number:
  US11/901,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20080012826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173, 463/37
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects

Abstract

A method for interfacing a user with a computer running an application program, the computer generating a graphical environment comprising a graphical object and a graphical representation of at least a portion of a living body, comprises providing an object in communication with the computer, controlling the graphical object in relation to manipulation of at least a portion of the object by the user, and outputting a haptic sensation to the user when the graphical object interacts with a region within the graphical representation to provide the user with haptic feedback related to a simulated palpation of the region.

Claims

1. A simulator comprising:

a touchpad configured to receive an input command upon a user'"'"'s finger coming into contact with the touchpad;

a processor associated with a graphical representation of at least a portion of a virtual subject;

a sensor coupled to the touchpad and the processor, the sensor capable of sensing a position of the user'"'"'s finger along a planar surface of the touchpad and a force applied by the user'"'"'s finger onto the touchpad, wherein the sensor is configured to provide signals to the processor to move a graphical object capable of interacting with the graphical representation of the virtual subject based on the input command;

an actuator coupled to the touchpad and configured to output a barrier haptic feedback force to be felt by the user when the graphical object is positioned at a designated barrier location on the graphical representation and the force applied by the user'"'"'s finger is at a predetermined amount.

2. A method comprising:

providing a user manipulatable object including a finger receiving member having a concave receiving recess adapted to receive a user'"'"'s finger therein;

providing a processor associated with a graphical representation of at least a portion of a virtual subject;

sensing a position of the user manipulatable object and updating data values associated with a graphical object capable of interacting with the graphical representation of the virtual subject based on the input command; and

outputting a haptic feedback force to be felt by the user fingers in contact with the finger receiving member when the graphical object is positioned at a designated barrier location on the graphical representation.

3. A method comprising:

running a host program on a host computer, the host program capable of displaying a graphical object moveable in a graphical representation of a virtual patient on a display;

sensing a position of a user manipulatable object in a plurality of degrees of freedom;

sending a low-level sensor signal from the sensor to a local processor remote from the host computer;

updating data values associated with the graphical object in response to the sensor signal;

sending high level control signals to the local processor to activate an actuator to produce a palpation effect when the data values indicate the graphical object in a designated haptic location on the graphical representation.

4. A simulator comprising:

an instrument glove configured to be manipulatable in a plurality of degrees of freedom in a three dimensional space;

a processor configured to run an application to display a graphical representation of at least a portion of a virtual subject;

a sensor coupled to the instrument glove and the processor, the sensor configured to sense a position of at least the user'"'"'s hand and provide a sensor signal to the process associated with the sensed position, wherein the processor updates data values associated with a graphical object capable of interacting with the graphical representation of the virtual subject based on the sensor signal, wherein the graphical object is capable of rotating in response to rotation of the instrument glove in a degree of freedom; and

an actuator coupled to the instrument glove and configured to output a haptic feedback force to be felt by the user when the graphical object is positioned at a designated barrier location on the graphical representation.

5. A method of training a user to identify a palpation on a virtual patient comprising:

running a host program on a host computer, the host program capable of displaying one or more graphical objects moveable in a graphical representation of the virtual patient on a display;

instructing the user to direct a first graphical object using a user manipulatable object to a first designated location on the graphical representation of the virtual patient to conduct a first diagnostic test;

instructing the user to direct a second graphical object to a second designated location on the graphical representation of the virtual patient to conduct a second diagnostic test, wherein a control signal is sent from a processor to an actuator in the user manipulatable object only upon the second graphical object being located at the second designated location, wherein the actuator outputs a haptic feedback force upon receiving the control signal.