Human performance in the task of port placement for biosensor use

Background We conducted a study of participants' abilities to place a laparoscopic port for in vivo biosensor use. Biosensors have physical limitations that make port placement crucial to proper data collection. A new port placement algorithm enabled evaluation of port locations, using segmented patient data in a virtual environment. Methods Port placement scoring algorithms were integrated into an image‐guided surgery system. Virtual test scenes were created to evaluate various scenarios encountered during biosensor use. Participants were scored based on their ability to choose a port location from which points of interest could be scanned with a biosensor. Participants' scores were also compared to those of a port placement algorithm. Results The port placement algorithm consistently outscored participants by 10–25%. Participants were inconsistent from trial to trial and from participant to participant. Conclusion Port placement for biosensor procedures could be improved through training or augmentation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.