TITLE:
A Custom Haptic Syringe to Improve a VR Local Anesthesia Simulation for Foundational Dental Education: A Feasibility Study
AUTHORS:
Mohamad Eid, Marci Levine, Avinash Gyawali, Elizabeth McAlpin
KEYWORDS:
Haptic Technology, Virtual Reality, Simulation, Local Anesthesia, Authentic Learning, Immersive Learning
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.14 No.12,
December
10,
2024
ABSTRACT: Introduction: This paper presents the design, development, and usability evaluation of a custom haptic syringe aimed to improve the realism of a virtual reality local anesthesia simulation (VRLA), specifically for the inferior alveolar nerve block (IANB), that formally used a head mounted device (HMD) and vibration feedback via hand controllers. The custom haptic syringe interface provides a more realistic tactile sensation of plunging a real syringe in a human patient. This pilot study investigated the usability of the custom haptic syringe to replace one of the hand controllers to provide a more realistic and better training experience. Method: A one group pre-post survey investigated student perceptions regarding the effectiveness and usability of a haptic syringe to provide a more realistic experience to train dental students to learn the procedural steps to inject local anesthesia into a virtual patient. Twenty-two third year dental students participated. The pre-post survey examined changes in students’ perceived emotions, preparedness, and effectiveness of the VRLA as a foundational learning strategy prior to entering clinical group practice. Results: While quantitative results on comparable survey questions did not yield statistically significant differences, qualitative open-ended responses revealed a much greater satisfaction using the custom haptic syringe compared to the out of the box controllers. Conclusions: Feedback regarding the haptic syringe showed a substantial step closer to providing a more real experience for students in an effort to create a better bridge between classroom learning and clinical practice in order to prepare students to more confidently and competently work with real clients. Further refinement of the syringe is forthcoming along with a more formal comparative experimental study.