Epidural Needle Haptic Feedback Simulator Patents 2026
Epidural Needle Haptic Feedback Simulator Patents
Epidural LOR simulation requires multi-layer tissue resistance fidelity that observation alone cannot teach. This dataset spans physical simulators, VR platforms, and adaptive haptic hardware filed from 2007 to 2026.
Why Haptic Fidelity Defines Epidural Training Technology
Epidural needle placement depends entirely on detecting the tactile transition from ligamentum flavum resistance to the sudden loss of resistance signalling correct epidural space entry. This pressure drop, felt through a syringe plunger, cannot be taught by observation alone — making it one of the most haptics-dependent procedures in clinical medicine.
The technology landscape spans three overlapping domains: physical and hybrid simulators replicating anatomical tissue layers through engineered materials; VR and software platforms modelling needle insertion physics computationally; and haptic interface hardware — force-feedback devices and controllers — that transduce simulated tissue resistance into the practitioner’s hand.
Key validation milestones include the 2018 CompuFlo study confirming pressure-curve similarity between a custom simulator and human epidural anatomy across 64 paired trials, and the 2020 gaze-behaviour study with 48 anesthesia novices demonstrating quantifiable learning improvements after simulator practice.
In this dataset, VIRTUALISURG leads with 4 recent filings (AU/US, 2024–2025), followed by Naviworks Co., Ltd. and Handshake VR Inc. with 3 filings each in retrieved records. The US accounts for 7 jurisdiction records, the highest single-jurisdiction count in this dataset.
Patent Activity Across Technology Clusters and Jurisdictions
Filing activity in this dataset spans four technology clusters from foundational haptic trainer-trainee architectures (2007) through modular cloud-connected platforms (2024–2026). Jurisdiction concentration reflects a shift from North American foundational filings toward recent Australian, Indian, and Chinese activity.
Patent Filings by Jurisdiction — Dataset Snapshot
The US holds the highest single-jurisdiction patent count at 7 records in this dataset, followed by Australia with 4 records concentrated in 2024–2025 VIRTUALISURG filings.
↗ Click bars to exploreFiling Activity by Era — Epidural Haptic Simulator Dataset
Filing activity in this dataset clusters into three distinct eras: 2007–2010 foundational haptic architecture (3 records), 2013–2022 physical/VR validation (8 records), and 2024–2026 modular/cloud/AR platforms (6 records), showing accelerating recent activity in this dataset.
↗ Click bars to exploreWhere Epidural Haptic Simulation Technology Is Being Applied
The technology crosses multiple procedural training domains, with anesthesiology as the primary target and adjacent needle-based procedure training providing validated architectural precedents.
Epidural LOR Physical Simulation
The 2018 CompuFlo study objectively validated pressure-curve similarity between a custom physical epidural simulator and real human epidural anatomy across 64 paired trials. Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (IN, 2013) filed the only dedicated epidural-specific simulator patent in this dataset, incorporating dynamic spinal curvature posturing for postgraduate anesthesia training. The USEIT system (2021) extended this into a Unity-based VR platform designed as a cost-effective alternative for lumbar puncture and epidural insertion training.
Anesthesiology TrainingAnesthesia Novice VR Training
A 2020 gaze-behaviour study with 48 anesthesia novices demonstrated measurable improvements in procedural duration and gaze metrics following simulator-based epidural practice, providing the strongest learning validation data in this domain within the dataset. The EpiduroSIM (KOREATECH, 2020) demonstrated expert/novice discrimination validity for virtual spinal cavity navigation. The Virtual Spinal Tap (2018) used a dual-control haptic device to reproduce subtle lumbar puncture forces for distributed medical education.
VR Procedural TrainingNerve Block AR Simulation
Peking University Shenzhen Hospital (CN, 2025) filed a nerve block simulation patent with AR anatomical landmark overlay, needle angle and insertion depth measurement, and ultrasound image matching scoring — among the most technically complete regional anesthesia simulation architectures in this dataset. The 2014 study on ultrasound-guided axillary brachial plexus blockade directly validated VR simulation benefit for regional anesthesia needle placement. This AR scoring framework maps onto epidural LOR multi-parameter assessment requirements.
Regional Anesthesia SimulationMinimally Invasive Needle Training
The 2021 Veress needle psychomotor skills study addresses needle insertion through multi-layer tissue with realistic tactile simulation — the closest structural analog to epidural LOR in the broader surgical training literature. Tufts University (US, 2010) introduced adaptive non-static training environments recognising that fixed anatomical scenarios undermine skill discrimination in minimally invasive training. Haptic bone drilling simulation (2021) further validated that closed-loop force feedback reduces procedural errors in needle-adjacent instrument insertion tasks.
Surgical Skills TrainingLeading Patent Assignees in Haptic Surgical Simulation — Dataset Snapshot
In this dataset, VIRTUALISURG accounts for 4 of the most recent filings (AU/US, 2024–2025), making it the most active assignee in retrieved records. Naviworks Co., Ltd. and Handshake VR Inc. each hold 3 filings in this dataset, covering haptic glove-HMD integration and trainer-trainee force-scaling architectures respectively.
Top Assignees by Filing Count in Retrieved Records (Dataset Snapshot)
↗ Click bars to exploreVIRTUALISURG
VIRTUALISURG holds 4 patent filings in this dataset across AU (2024) and US (2025), making it the most active recent assignee in retrieved records. Key patents cover a modular surgical training platform with plug-and-play haptic controller interfaces, automatic tool recognition, reversible mechanical tool attachment, and a constrained surgical training console architecture. These filings describe a tool-agnostic haptic training infrastructure directly applicable to epidural needle module integration.
Australia — AU / United States — USNaviworks Co., Ltd.
Naviworks Co., Ltd. (South Korea) holds 3 patents in this dataset filed across US (2021, 2022) and MY (2024) jurisdictions, covering haptic interaction-based VR simulators with HMD-integrated haptic glove systems that synchronise virtual hand position with tactile stimulus delivery. This multi-jurisdiction filing strategy (US + Malaysia) distinguishes Naviworks as the only Asian assignee with cross-jurisdiction haptic training patents in retrieved records. The architecture is relevant to immersive epidural training environments requiring full-hand tactile feedback.
South Korea — KR (filings: US, MY)Five Convergent Directions in Haptic Epidural Simulation (2024–2026)
The most recent filings in this dataset signal a convergence toward modular, networked, and AI-augmented architectures that move beyond standalone epidural simulators toward scalable, remotely accessible training infrastructure.
Modular Tool-Agnostic Haptic Training Platforms
VIRTUALISURG’s 2024–2025 AU/US filings describe a training console where any surgical tool — including needles — can be mechanically connected to a haptic controller via a standardised connection system, with automatic tool recognition and virtual environment adjustment. This plug-and-play paradigm lowers the barrier to adding epidural needle modules to existing simulation infrastructure. The architecture reduces the need for purpose-built standalone epidural simulators.
Closed-Loop Adaptive Haptics with Anti-Habituation Logic
The Bapatla 2026 Indian patent describes an adaptive haptic apparatus using the transducer’s own back-EMF as a sensing element within a closed-loop PID controller, with autonomous dishabituation triggers when perceptual acuity degrades. For LOR training — where repeated simulation risks sensory habituation to the breakthrough event — this closed-loop adaptive mechanism is a potentially high-impact approach. No prior patent in this dataset addresses the habituation problem for needle-based tactile simulation specifically.
Physical Simulators vs. VR Haptic Platforms for Epidural LOR Training
Click any row to explore further.
| Dimension | Physical Epidural Simulator | VR Haptic Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Key Example | Krishna Institute simulator (IN, 2013); CompuFlo-validated custom simulator (2018) | USEIT Unity platform (2021); EpiduroSIM (KOREATECH, 2020) |
| LOR Fidelity Method | Engineered tissue-layer materials generating physical syringe-plunger pressure curves | Soft-tissue deformation algorithms and haptic stylus devices (e.g. Geomagic Touch) rendering force feedback computationally |
| Validation Standard | CompuFlo pressure-curve comparison across 64 paired trials vs. human epidural anatomy (2018) | Expert/novice discrimination validity (EpiduroSIM, 2020); gaze-behaviour outcomes in 48 novices (2020) |
| Cost and Scalability | Higher per-unit cost; USEIT (2021) explicitly designed VR as lower-cost alternative to physical simulators | Lower marginal cost at scale; cloud delivery (Parul University, IN, 2025) enables remote distributed access |
| Spinal Anatomy Replication | Dynamic spinal curvature posturing included in Krishna Institute patent (IN, 2013) | Virtual anatomical rendering; AR landmark overlay and ultrasound matching in Peking Univ. Shenzhen patent (CN, 2025) |
| Training Outcome Evidence | Objective pressure-curve fidelity certification (CompuFlo, 2018); 3D-printed tissue-equivalent materials validated in orthopedic training (2018) | Measurable improvements in procedural duration and gaze metrics after simulator practice in 48 novices (2020) |
| Haptic Hardware Dependency | Intrinsic — physical needle and syringe used directly | Requires haptic stylus or glove interface; Naviworks HMD-glove system (US, 2021–2022) represents immersive option |
| IP Landscape (Dataset) | 1 dedicated epidural patent in this dataset (Krishna Institute, IN, 2013) | Multiple adjacent patents; VIRTUALISURG (4 filings), Naviworks (3 filings) in this dataset |
Frequently Asked Questions: Epidural Needle Haptic Feedback Simulation
Loss of resistance is the tactile transition from ligamentum flavum resistance to a sudden pressure drop that signals correct entry into the epidural space, felt through a syringe plunger. It cannot be conveyed by observation alone, making it one of the most haptics-dependent procedures in clinical medicine and requiring specialised simulation to teach reliably.
The Spinal and Epidural Anaesthesia Simulator filed by Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (India, 2013) is the sole dedicated epidural-specific patent in this dataset. It is a near-life physical model incorporating dynamic spinal curvature posturing, designed for postgraduate anesthesia training.
The 2018 CompuFlo Epidural Instrument study applied objective computational instrumentation to validate that a modified commercial simulator’s pressure curves match human epidural anatomy across 64 paired trials, establishing a methodology for fidelity certification of physical epidural simulators.
A 2020 gaze-behaviour study with 48 anesthesia novices demonstrated measurable improvements in procedural duration and gaze metrics following simulator-based epidural practice. The EpiduroSIM study (KOREATECH, 2020) additionally demonstrated expert/novice discrimination validity for a virtual spinal cavity simulator.
VIRTUALISURG (Australia/US) is the most active recent filer in this dataset with 4 patents filed in 2024–2025, covering modular haptic surgical training platforms with plug-and-play tool recognition and reversible mechanical connections applicable to epidural needle training configurations.
The dataset identifies five convergent directions: modular tool-agnostic haptic platforms (VIRTUALISURG, 2024–2025); cloud and IoT-connected distributed simulation (Parul University, IN, 2025); AR anatomical overlay with multi-parameter procedural scoring (Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, CN, 2025); closed-loop adaptive haptic actuators with anti-habituation logic (Bapatla, IN, 2026); and integration of LOR haptic modules into full immersive VR anesthesia encounter scenarios.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.