IEEE Trans Haptics. 2012;5(4):301-11. doi: 10.1109/TOH.2011.70.
Inspection of the colon with an endoscope for early signs of cancer (colonoscopy) has become an extremely widespread procedure, since early treatment radically improves the outlook of patients. The procedure requires a close coordination between the sense of touch and vision to navigate the endoscope along the colon. This raises the need to develop efficient training methods for physicians. Training simulators based on virtual reality, where realistic graphics are combined with a mechatronic system providing haptic feedback, are alternative to traditional training methods. To provide physicians with realistic haptic sensations of an endoscopic procedure, we have designed a haptic interface, instrumented a clinical endoscope and combined them with a simulation software for colonoscopy. In this contribution, we present the mechatronic components of the simulator. The haptic interface is able to generate high forces using the combination of electrical motors and brakes in a compact design. Experiments were performed to determine the characteristics of the device. A model-based control has been implemented and the results show that the control successfully compensates for the device nonlinearities, such as friction. The proposed haptic interface, together with the virtual reality, form a highly realistic training simulator for endoscopic surgeons, applicable not only to colonoscopy, but also to similar interventions.
用内窥镜检查结肠以发现早期癌症迹象（结肠镜检查）已经成为一种非常广泛的程序，因为早期治疗可以从根本上改善患者的预后。该程序需要触觉和视觉之间的密切协调，以便在内窥镜沿着结肠移动。这就需要为医生开发有效的培训方法。基于虚拟现实的训练模拟器，其中将逼真的图形与提供触觉反馈的机电系统相结合，是传统培训方法的替代方法。为了为医生提供内窥镜手术的真实触觉感觉，我们设计了一种触觉接口，为临床内窥镜仪器，并将它们与结肠镜检查的模拟软件相结合。在本贡献中，我们介绍了模拟器的机电组件。触觉接口能够使用电动机和制动器的组合在紧凑的设计中产生高力。进行了实验以确定设备的特性。已经实现了基于模型的控制，结果表明该控制成功补偿了设备的非线性，例如摩擦。所提出的触觉接口与虚拟现实一起，为内窥镜外科医生形成了高度逼真的培训模拟器，不仅适用于结肠镜检查，也适用于类似的干预措施。
