A Universal Virtual Reality Training Platform for Microscale Robotic Cell Injection in Biomedical Research and Practice

Micro-robotic cell injection is a widely used procedure in cell biology where a small quantity of biological material is inserted into a cell using an automated or semi-automated micro-robotic system. Given its micro-scale nature, cell injection using a semi-automated micro-robotic system requires extremely high precision, hand-eye coordination, and depth perception for maneuvering the micro-pipette. As the cell injection is a laborious work, there is a dire need of rigorous training and a great deal of experience using live specimens and high-end microscopes. To facilitate this training, we have presented a paper in the past about modular virtual reality (VR) with basic simulation modules, here, the present work deals with the modelling of advanced training modules and experimenting of VR simulator. The proposed simulator includes: (i) Advanced training modules to train users on complete injection/suction procedures; (ii) The performance evaluation of the users using three metrics, i.e., (i) time, (ii) trajectory, and (iii) positioning accuracy is also integrated within the simulator; (iii) An experimental set-up has been developed for the face, content, and construct validity of the VR simulator. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed simulator is validated by experts from the relevant domains and can be used for various applications like drug delivery, injection procedures and in-vitro fertilization. The experimental results demonstrated that a Virtual cell injection training simulator is feasible for the training of cell injection procedures and depicted that the injection success rate is 100% after using VR simulator.