Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-18-2025
Abstract
Cricothyroidotomy (CCT) is a critical, life-saving procedure requiring the identification of key neck landmarks through palpation. Interactive virtual simulation offers a promising, cost-effective approach to CCT training with high visual realism. However, developing the palpation skills necessary for CCT requires a haptic interface with tactile sensitivity comparable to human fingers. Such interfaces are often represented by plastic partial mannequins, which require further adaptation to integrate into virtual environments. This study introduces an instrumented physical palpation interface for CCT, integrated into a virtual surgical simulator, and tested on 10 surgeons who practiced the procedure over a training period. Data on haptic interactions collected during the training was analyzed to evaluate participants’ palpation skills and explore their force modulation strategies about landmark identification scores. Our findings suggest that trainees become more precise in their exploration over time, apply greater normal forces around target areas. Initial landmark identification performance influences adjustments in the overall applied pressure.
Recommended Citation
M. Turkseven, T. D. Qi, G. Sankaranarayanan and S. De, "Palpation Characteristics of an Instrumented Virtual Cricothyroidotomy Simulator," in IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, vol. 55, no. 5, pp. 876-885, Oct. 2025, https://doi.org/10.1109/THMS.2025.3592791.
Copyright
© 2025 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.
Comments
This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, volume 55, issue 5, in 2025 following peer review. This article may not exactly replicate the final published version. The definitive publisher-authenticated version is available online at https://doi.org/10.1109/THMS.2025.3592791.