THIS REPORT PRESENTS conceptual aspects and the clinical implications
of a computer-assisted geometric design of a cerebral aneurysm and sur
rounding structures. The technique is based on the approximation power
of the parametric spline function, which achieves interpolation and s
urface fitting of the arterial information obtained by conventional an
giography. Computer graphic transformations including shifting, scalin
g, rotation, and putting different colors in different intensities mak
e it possible to obtain the surgical simulation of a cerebral aneurysm
. To our knowledge, this is the first report in which the computer gra
phic simulation of the surgical view of a cerebral aneurysm is made wi
th a personal computer. Using our method, it may be possible to obtain
the surgical simulation of a more complicated view by introducing a n
avigation system of a new style for conventional open neurosurgery. Co
ncepts and the technical details of the method are described.