Objective Evaluation of Laparoscopic Experience Based on Muscle Electromyography and Accelerometry Performing Circular Pattern Cutting Tasks: A Pilot Study.

The aim of this work is to present a new physical laparoscopy simulator with an electromyography (EMG)/accelerometry-based muscle activity recording system, , and perform objective evaluation of laparoscopic skills based on the quantification of muscle activity of participants with different levels of laparoscopic experience. . EMG and ACC signals were obtained from 14 participants (6 experts, 8 medical students) performing circular pattern cutting tasks using a laparoscopic box trainer with the Trigno (Delsys Inc, Natick, MA) portable wireless system of 16 wireless sensors.

Integration of Comprehensive Metrics into the PsT1 Neuroendoscopic Training System.

Objective: Metric-based surgical training can be used to quantify the level and progression of neurosurgical performance to optimize and monitor training progress. Here we applied innovative metrics to a physical neurosurgery trainer to explore whether these metrics differentiate between different levels of experience across different tasks.

Methods: Twenty-four participants (9 experts, 15 novices) performed 4 tasks (dissection, spatial adaptation, depth adaptation, and the A-B-A task) using the PsT1 training system.

Image processing for AFB segmentation in bacilloscopies of pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis.

Image segmentation applied to medical image analysis is still a critical and important task. Although there exist several segmentation algorithms that have been widely studied in literature, these are subject to segmentation problems such as over- and under-segmentation as well as non-closed edges. In this paper, a simple method that combines well-known segmentation algorithms is presented.

Optimizing the positional relationships between instruments used in laparoscopic simulation using a simple trigonometric method.

Background: Various methods for evaluating laparoscopic skill have been reported, but without detailed information on the configuration used they are difficult to reproduce. Here we present a method based on the trigonometric relationships between the instruments used in a laparoscopic training platform in order to provide a tool to aid in the reproducible assessment of surgical laparoscopic technique.

Materials And Methods: The positions of the instruments were represented using triangles.

Is the digitization of laparoscopic movement using accessible alternative technologies possible?

It is widely documented that laparoscopic surgeons require training, and an objective evaluation of the training that they receive. The most advanced evaluation systems integrate the digitization of the movement of laparoscopic tools. A great number of these systems, however, do not permit the use of real tools and their high cost limits their academic impact.