Medical Device Link.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Haptic technology is being used in a growing number of medical applications including simulators for minimally invasive procedures and input devices for medical equipment.

Chosen by Forbes.com in February 2006 as one of the “Ten Things That Will Change the Way We Live,” haptic technology interacts with the sense of touch through calibrated interplay of software and motors. The technology is already a staple of the video game industry, where it is used in force-feedback game controllers and steering wheels. It also provides an important feature in surgical simulators where it accurately and realistically conveys tactile sensations such as the feel of breaking through the venal wall with a needle or cutting through tissue surrounding the gall bladder. Now the technology is being implemented in a growing number of medical device interfaces, where it is being used to combine the familiar feel of mechanical controls with the convenience of programmable digital systems.

One of the largest companies active in haptic technology, Immersion Corp. (San Jose, CA, USA), is applying the technique to touch screens. Commonly used in medical settings because they are easily sterilized and provide for efficient data entry, traditional touch screens demand a high degree of visual attention to ensure correct selections are made. Haptic-enabled touch screens use small actuators to move the screen a very small distance when touched to provide tactile confirmation of on-screen choices. Because the human sense of touch cannot differentiate the direction of motion at such short distances, the virtual buttons give the impression that the screen is actually depressed in the area where it has been pushed. The feel of tactile on-screen buttons is also programmable.

“Our TouchSense system delivers user benefits that can translate into business benefits,” states Michael D. Levin, vice president and general manager of Immersion’s Touch Interface Products group. “These include unmistakable confirmation that can lead to fast and accurate interactions, improved usability that supports focused attention on patients, and powerful differentiation that reflects a quality brand.”

The firm also offers programmable rotary modules that provide an alternative to mechanical switches, encoders, potentiometers, and other electromechanical input devices used for medical equipment. The controls can be programmed with the physical characteristics of many rotary switches on the market and also can be configured for dial, scroll wheel, thumb wheel, lever, or T-handle devices. The haptic rotary knobs can imitate the feeling of hard stops, notches, and increasing force when turned.

For more information, contact Immersion Corporation, 801 Fox Ln., San Jose, CA 95131, USA; phone: +1 408 4671900; fax: +1 408 4671901; e-mail: controls@immersion.com; Internet: www. immersion.com/industrial.