Force Feedback in a Three-Dimensional Ultrasound-Guided Surgical Task

Three-dimensional ultrasound (3D US) is a novel imaging modality that allows real-time visualization of internal body structures such as the heart, even through visually opaque blood and tissue. The real-time nature of 3D US allows minimally invasive manipulations to be carried out without an endoscopic camera. The quality of the images is not ideal, however, other senses might be used to augment a surgeon’s performance in a 3D US-guided procedure. We investigated the combination of haptics under 3D US in a force control task. Results suggest that stiffness of the tissue plays a significant role as to the relative importance of vision versus haptics in this type of task.