FundamentalVR Partners With HaptX On VR Surgeon Education
HaptX VR gloves bring a new level of detail to FundamentalVR’s ‘surgeon simulator.’
HaptX is on a roll lately. Whether it be remote telerobotics with real-time interactivity, or realistic touch in car design, it seems as though the advanced haptic glove is finding a home in just about every field, including healthcare.
In a demonstration conducted during the annual general meeting of the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), Fundamental Surgery–developers of a low-cost surgery simulation platform–showcased their FundamentalVR experience working in conjunction with HaptX’s haptic glove, delivering an unparalleled level of detail to the developers surgical education experience.
Referred to as a ‘flight simulator’ for both trainees and professional surgeons, the Fundamental Surgery platform immerses users in a hyper-realistic medical environment in which they experience the exact same visuals, audio, and emotions they would during an actual surgery. Using what the company calls a Surgical Haptic Intelligence Engine, the platform is able to replicate the feel of standard surgical tools and tissue variants with submillimeter accuracy. Each HaptX glove features 130 tactile actuators and advanced motion-tracking technology that captures movement with sub-millimeter precision, making it the perfect addition to Fundamental’s equally detailed experiences,
Image Credit: Fundamental Surgery / HaptX
“When it comes to surgical training simulations, a sense of touch is a game changer, but has traditionally only been possible with immobile equipment costing hundreds of thousands of dollars,” spoke Richard Vincent, CEO of FundamentalVR, in an official statement. “The Fundamental Surgery platform delivers highly sophisticated tactile feedback at a fraction of the cost through a software approach that can work with a range of haptic devices.”
“Our platform currently works with haptic arms, but is designed to evolve as hardware innovations allow new products such as HaptX Gloves to come to market. We are proud to work with industry leaders such as HaptX and are excited to demonstrate how HaptX Gloves integrated into our Surgical Haptics Intelligence Engine TM takes the sensation of surgery to an exciting new and natural level.”
Image Credit: Fundamental Surgery / HaptX
During the AAOS demonstration, Fundamental showcased an example of the HaptX glove working in tandem with their platform during an Anterior Total Hip Arthroplasty. The user can be seen carefully performing the operation using a HaptX glove to manipulate the patients tissue with detailed precision. Using the force feedback generated by the exoskeleton (up to 4 lbs of resistance per finger) the user is actually able to feel the boney growth surrounding the rim of the hip socket, allowing them to better locate key ligaments.
“The ability to touch and interact naturally with virtual environments is transforming the way industries train workers and bring products to market,” added Jake Rubin, Founder and CEO of HaptX. “The healthcare industry is at the forefront of this shift, and it’s set to be transformed by advancements in VR and haptics. We are delighted to be working with Fundamental Surgery as our first medical partner to demonstrate how HaptX Gloves can make surgical simulations more immersive and effective.”
Image Credit: Fundamental Surgery / HaptX
Fundamental Surgery is currently employed at various professional medical facilities across the US, UK, and Germany and offers support for Spinal Pedicle Screw, Total Hip Arthroplasty (Posterior), Total Hip Arthroplasty (Anterior), and Total Knee Arthroplasty. The platform is compatible with any laptop, VR headset, or haptic hardware.
For additional information on Fundamental Surgery’s growing platform, visit fundamentalsurgery.com. For updates on HaptX’s haptic offerings, check out haptx.com.
https://vrscout.com/news/fundamentalvr-haptx-vr-surgery/
