title: Development of the VBLaST: a virtual basic laparoscopic skill trainer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The FLS training tool box has now been adopted by the Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) as an official training tool for minimally invasive procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  To overcome the limitations of the physical FLS training tool box, we have developed a Virtual Basic Laparoscopic Skill Trainer (VBLaSTTM) system, which is a 3D simulator that will allow trainees to acquire basic laparoscopic skill.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The outcome of this work is the development of an integrated visio-haptic workstation environment including force feedback devices and a stereo display interface whereby trainees can practice on virtual versions of the FLS. Realistic graphical rendering and high fidelity haptic interactions are achieved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical skill training is a long and tedious process of acquiring fine motor skills. It is expected that residents would start on trainers such as VBLaSTTM and after reaching a certain level of competence would progress to the more complex trainers for training on specific surgical procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Computation, Institute of Informatics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. amaciel@inf.ufrgs.br
authors.forename: Anderson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maciel
authors.forename: Youquan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Woojin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: T Paul
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Ward
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dunnican
authors.forename: Suvranu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De
mesh_terms: D001076:Aptitude; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018961:Educational Technology / Q000379:methods; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods; D020706:Laparoscopes; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014110:Touch; D014160:Transducers, Pressure; D014584:User-Computer Interface