Evaluation of Venipuncture Techniques Based on Measurements of Haptic Sense and Finger Motion

Accurate and trouble-free blood collection reduces the physical and mental risk of patients. Visualization of expert venipuncture techniques is important when conducting blood collection training. Fine motions such as needle insertion for venipuncture should be evaluated by measuring both finger motion and haptic sense. This paper proposes a method for evaluating the needle insertion process in blood collection. Blood collection technique of expert medical staff was measured and analyzed experimentally. A winged blood collection needle was inserted into a forearm model used for venipuncture training. A motion capture system was used to detect finger motions during needle insertion. Furthermore, haptic measurements were made by applying a thin and flexible sensor at the contact interface of the grip to measure both contact pressure and shear stress. The haptic sensor measured contact pressure at the fingers while holding a winged needle, and detected changes in stress components along the directions of needle insertion and skin compression during the venipuncture process. During needle insertion, characteristic changes in stress profiles were observed along with the process of puncturing the component layers of the forearm model. The blood collection procedure could be visualized using haptic sensing throughout the experiment. The proposed haptic sensing system may be useful in enhancing blood collection technique and developing automation of the process.