Title: New techniques for computer-based simulation in surgical training

Authors: Giuseppe Turini, Nico Pietroni, Giuseppe Megali, Fabio Ganovelli, Andrea Pietrabissa, Franco Mosca

Addresses: EndoCAS Center, Universita di Pisa, Ospedale di Cisanello, Via Paradisa 2, I-56124 Pisa, Italy. ' Visual Computing Lab, ISTI Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione, Area della Ricerca CNR, Via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy. ' CRIM, Polo Sant'Anna Valdera, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34, I-56025, Pontedera (Pisa), Italy. ' Visual Computing Lab, ISTI Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione, Area della Ricerca CNR, Via G. Moruzzi 1, I-56124 Pisa, Italy. ' Centro EndoCAS, Dipartimento di Oncologia, dei Trapianti e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina, Universita di Pisa, Ospedale di Cisanello, Via Paradisa 2, I-56124 Pisa, Italy. ' Centro EndoCAS, Dipartimento di Oncologia, dei Trapianti e delle Nuove Tecnologie in Medicina, Universita di Pisa, Ospedale di Cisanello, Via Paradisa 2, I-56124 Pisa, Italy

Abstract: Scientific community in medicine indicates the disruptive potential of the application of Virtual Reality (VR) to the training in the medical field. This paper presents some research and applicative results on Computer Assisted Surgery (CAS) achieved in the framework of EndoCAS, a Center of Excellence in Pisa. The research has involved: segmentation algorithms for volumetric datasets, bone drilling simulation, simulation and virtual cutting of human tissue, simulation of rope dynamics to reproduce a suture procedure in MIS. Our purpose is to enhance the surgical training with new techniques to carry the surgical training to a next level of realism.

Keywords: surgical training; simulation; computer-aided surgery; virtual reality; segmentation algorithms; volumetric datasets; bone drilling; virtual cutting; human tissue cutting; rope dynamics; suture procedures; healthcare technology; medical technology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2011.039923

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2011 Vol.5 No.4, pp.303 - 316

Published online: 21 Jan 2015 *

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