Patent ID: 8062038

Claim:
A method for simulating a medical procedure utilizing a haptic interface device, the method comprising the steps of: (a) inserting a medical device into a support tube of the haptic interface device; (b) receiving said medical device from said support tube into at least one carriage slidably mounted on a rail mounted to a carriage bed mounted to a frame of the haptic interface device, wherein said at least one carriage engages with said medical device; (c) sending position, force, rotation, and collision data from said at least one carriage to a processor; (d) sending motor commands from said processor to at least one drive motor mounted to said carriage bed, wherein said at least one drive motor translates said at least one carriage along said rail through a drive belt attached to said at least one carriage and looped around a fly wheel of said at least one drive motor and looped around an idler pulley; and (e) sending brake commands from said processor to said at least one carriage, wherein said brake commands affect resistance to rotation of said medical device engaged with said at least one carriage; (f) receiving a collision signal in said processor from a collision sensor of said at least one carriage; and (g) sending a control signal to said at least one carriage from said processor to prevent said at least one carriage from colliding into another said at least one carriage, wherein the medical procedure is simulated through the interaction of said medical device with said at least one carriage and said motor commands and said brake commands from said processor to simulate the medical procedure.