Towards an intraoperative feedback system for laparoscopic access with the Veress needle

Abstract

About 50 % of complications during laparoscopy occur when surgical access is created. The Veress needle and proposed technical alternatives do not provide reliable information to support the surgeons in guiding the needle, or the feedback is not clearly perceivable. Based on acoustic emissions, Surgical Audio Guidance (SURAG) proposes a non-invasive and efficient way to enhance the perception of guidance information through acoustic and visual feedback displayed in real-time. This article demonstrates that the developed feedback matches the information about tissue layer crossings provided by force measurements. This indicates that SURAG can provide an effective means to make laparoscopic access more precise and safe, especially in pediatric surgery, where space for placing the needle is minimal.

Keywords

• laparoscopic access
• needle guidance
• surgical audio guidance
• acoustic emissions
• intraoperative feedback