NurseWeek

Virtual reality glove lets doctors feel from a distance

Wire Services
July 27, 2000


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Chicago. A new virtual reality glove lets a remote physician feel the patient the same way a colleague does while performing an abdominal exam, according to researchers from State University of New York at Buffalo.

The device operates by connecting a sensor to the physician’s index finger, and then records every motion the physician makes as he or she conducts an exam, said the researchers, who reported their findings at the World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering.

The sensors also record the amount of pressure the physician applies to the body. The researchers then apply the data of the glove to a 3-D model of the patient to mimic the pressure of the physician’s hand.

From a remote site, another physician can insert his or her finger into a feedback device to recreate the movement and feel of the exam.

Researchers predict the glove will reach the market in two years.

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