Haptic feedback in the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK): A user study based on grasping, palpation, and incision tasks

Background It was suggested that the lack of haptic feedback, formerly considered a limitation for the da Vinci robotic system, does not affect robotic surgeons because of training and compensation based on visual feedback. However, conclusive studies are still missing, and the interest in force reflection is rising again. Methods We integrated a seven-DoF master into the da Vinci Research Kit. We designed tissue grasping, palpation, and incision tasks with robotic surgeons, to be performed by three groups of users (expert surgeons, medical residents, and nonsurgeons, five users/group), either with or without haptic feedback. Task-specific quantitative metrics and a questionnaire were used for assessment. Results Force reflection made a statistically significant difference for both palpation (improved inclusion detection rate) and incision (decreased tissue damage). Conclusions Haptic feedback can improve key surgical outcomes for tasks requiring a pronounced cognitive burden for the surgeon, to be possibly negotiated with longer completion times.