A virtual surgery simulator using advanced haptic feedback

Summary

Simulators based on virtual reality offer great promise for training future surgeons. We are developing a surgical simulator with emphasis on providing the user with a sense of touch in addition to the senses of sight and sound. Users hold real medical instruments and touch, grasp, and suture two simulated tube organs as they practice end-to-end anastomosis procedures. The medical instruments are attached to force feedback devices that convey the forces of interaction to the user. The behaviour of the tubes is derived from a physics-based simulation. Computer graphics provide real-time texture-mapped images of the surgical scene. The system is currently operational and its training value will be evaluated using medical students and experienced surgeons.

Keywords:

• surgical simulation
• haptic feedback
• force feedback
• virtual reality