Qiaozhi Wang, P.E.
(Prounouced "Chi-ao-Jhi")
Results-driven Professional Engineer specializing in mechatronics, systems integration, and autonomous systems. Demonstrated expertise leading end-to-end development of complex electro-mechanical systems — from concept design through prototype build, validation, and public debut.
Virtual Simulation for Robot-Assisted Osteolysis Treatment Surgery
Keywords: Haptics, C++, Visual Studio, MATLAB, Chai3D, 3D Slicer, MeshLab
This project involves developing a virtual simulation for robot-assisted osteolysis treatment surgery. For this specific surgery, minimally invasive operation is preferred, because it limits the size and number of incisions. It also has several advantages such as pain reduction, faster recovery time, and lower risk of infection. To better clean osteolysis by minimally-invasive approach, a dexterous manipulator (DM) with a large open lumen has been developed by BIGSS lab here at Hopkins. However, due to the space constraints, an endoscope cannot be used to view the lesions while the DM is being used, which means surgeons will not have any visual feedback and can only rely on their experience.
Project Pitch Video
Our research group has proposed a novel solution by developing a haptic feedback enabled simulator. A haptic-enabled virtual environment from real CT data is used to simulate the cleaning procedure of surgery using a snake-like robot. Our models were generated based on real CT data with the help of a medical image software 3D Slicer. Using randomization, osteolytic lesions were simulated under different circumstances. The simulation also provides warning messages, views from multiple angles and transparency adjustment. Different interaction forces and cleaning rates for different objects are calculated according to object properties.
Novint Falcon Haptics Device
MLS Cleaning Process
3D Reconstruction
We are currently at the testing stage, finding volunteers, asking them to perform the surgery simulation. The program will record the participants’ motion data and duration for evaluation. What we hope to accomplish at the end of the experiments is to determine whether haptic simulation can be a reliable training method, and how much would the participants improve over different trials of the simulation.
The general purpose of the project is to provide an alternative method for surgical teaching, training, pre-operative planning and possibly real- time intraoperative use after advanced development in the future. The goals of the system are to reduce both the expense and duration for surgical training by providing a virtual environment with haptic feedback that can replicate the operations.