Virtual reality training simulation for palpation of subsurface tumors

In the area of medical education, there is a strong need for palpation training to address the specific need of detecting subsurface tumors. A virtual reality training simulation was created to address this need. Utilizing the Rutgers Master II force feedback system, the simulation allows the user to perform a patient examination and palpate (touch) the patient's virtual liver to search for hard regions beneath the surface. When the user's fingertips pass over a "tumor", experimentally determined force/deflection curves are used to give the user the feeling of an object beneath the surface. A graphical user interface was developed to facilitate navigation as well as providing a training quiz. The trainee is asked to identify the location and relative hardness of tumors, and performance is evaluated in terms of positional and diagnostic errors.