Augmented Reality Forward Damage Control Procedures for Nonsurgeons: A Feasibility Demonstration.

INTRODUCTION: This article presents an emerging capability to project damage control procedures far forward for situations where evacuation to a formal surgical team is delayed. Specifically, we demonstrate the plausibility of using a wearable augmented reality (AR) telestration device to guide a nonsurgeon through a damage control procedure. METHODS: A stand-alone, low-profile, commercial-off-the-shelf wearable AR display was utilized by a remotely located surgeon to synchronously guide a nonsurgeon through proximal control of the distal external iliac artery on a surgical manikin. The manikin wound pattern was selected to simulate a rapidly exsanguinating junctional hemorrhage not controllable by nonsurgical means. RESULTS: This capability demonstration displayed successful use of AR technology, telecommunication, and procedural training and guidance in a single test pilot. The assisted physician assistant was able to rapidly control the simulated external iliac artery injury on this model. The telestration system used was commercially available for use with available civilian cell phone, wireless and satellite networks, without the need for dedicated high-speed networks. CONCLUSIONS: A nonsurgeon, using a wearable commercial on-visual-axis telestration system, successfully performed a damage control procedure, demonstrating the plausibility of this approach.

Identifying Opportunities for Virtual Reality Simulation in Surgical Education: A Review of the Proceedings from the Innovation, Design, and Emerging Alliances in Surgery (IDEAS) Conference: VR Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To conduct a review of the state of virtual reality (VR) simulation technology, to identify areas of surgical education that have the greatest potential to benefit from it, and to identify challenges to implementation. BACKGROUND DATA: Simulation is an increasingly important part of surgical training. VR is a developing platform for using simulation to teach technical skills, behavioral skills, and entire procedures to trainees and practicing surgeons worldwide. Questions exist regarding the science behind the technology and most effective usage of VR simulation. A symposium was held to address these issues. METHODS: Engineers, educators, and surgeons held a conference in November 2013 both to review the background science behind simulation technology and to create guidelines for its use in teaching and credentialing trainees and surgeons in practice. RESULTS: Several technologic challenges were identified that must be overcome in order for VR simulation to be useful in surgery. Specific areas of student, resident, and practicing surgeon training and testing that would likely benefit from VR were identified: technical skills, team training and decision-making skills, and patient safety, such as in use of electrosurgical equipment. CONCLUSIONS: VR simulation has the potential to become an essential piece of surgical education curriculum but depends heavily on the establishment of an agreed upon set of goals. Researchers and clinicians must collaborate to allocate funding toward projects that help achieve these goals. The recommendations outlined here should guide further study and implementation of VR simulation.

A retrospective review of TATRC funding for medical modeling and simulation technologies.

INTRODUCTION: In February 2000, the U.S. Army's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) and the U.S. Army's Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation Command cohosted an Integrated Research Team conference in Maryland. The goal of the conference was to enable end users, researchers, materiel developers, and other government agencies to present their conceptions of how modeling and simulation could and should be developed to meet military medical needs. During the past 9 years, TATRC has funded more than 175 projects relating to simulation. METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of TATRC's Modeling and Simulation Training projects (N = 175). RESULTS: Our results show that most (>75%) of the funded projects in this study involved industry. More than 85% of the projects that involved industry focused on technology development. Industry development projects seemed to meet their deliverables in a timely fashion. However, academia projects using industry-developed technologies and prototypes were delayed largely because the technologies did not meet their needs. DISCUSSION: There seems to be a measurable gap between industry's definition of a completed product technology and academia's ability to implement and use the technology in interactive learning environments. Our findings support the need for a standardized strategic design process that involves a strong industry-academia collaboration and early end-user testing to better facilitate the development of sound requirements that guide technology development.

Validation of medical modeling & simulation training devices and systems.

For almost a decade, research has been conducted in many areas of science to develop medical simulation training devices and even comprehensive training systems. To propel the field, the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), an agency of the United States Army Medical Research Materiel Command (USAMRMC), has been managing a portfolio of research projects in the area of Medical Modeling and Simulation (MM&S) since 1999. Significant progress has made to identify and harness enabling technologies. Generally, these developments can be categorized in four areas: (1) PC-based interactive multimedia, (2) Digitally Enhanced Mannequins, (3) Virtual Workbench, or "part-task", simulators, and (4) Total Immersion Virtual Reality (TIVR). Many medical simulation-training systems have shown great potential to improve medical training, but the potential shown has been based largely on anecdotal feedback from informal user studies. Formal assessment is needed to determine the degree to which simulator(s) train medical skills and the degree to which skills learned on a simulator transfer to the practice of care. A robust methodology is required as a basis for these assessments. Several scientific workshops sponsored in 2001 focused on algorithm and metrics development in support of surgical simulation. Also in 2001, TATRC chartered a Simulation Working Group (SWG) to develop a robust methodology upon which to base an assessment of the effectiveness of simulation training devices and systems. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, attention was redirected for a period, and progress was delayed. In the summer of 2002, TATRC chartered a follow-on group called the Validation, Metrics and Simulation (VMAS) Committee. The poster will highlight and summarize the development of the methodology and identify validation studies to be conducted (supported by various funding sources and research programs). The interaction between TATRC and the National Capital Area Medical Simulation Center (NCAMSC) will be noted.