Surface EMG and heartbeat analysis preliminary results in surgical training: Dry boxes and live tissue

The training in the surgical practice is of paramount importance to prepare the residents in performing surgical procedures on human subject and to provide exercise on new techniques for experienced surgeons. Usually, these trainings are carried out on live animals or in virtual environments and dry boxes; the complexity of the exercises is identical in both of the case, but the pressure in operating with a living subject could change the attitude and the movements of the trainee. Until now, it has not been possible to analyze this stress in details together in the surgical animal training and dry boxes. In this work we propose an innovative portable system that can measure two physiological parameters, the heartbeat and the surface electromyography, during a session of training in both of the environment. The preliminary results, for one subject, show a bigger average power in the shoulder muscles during the living operation together with a higher but stable heartbeat rate.