VIRTUAL PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY SYSTEM FOR AN EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM

With the increase of ischemic diseases of the circulatory system in Ja pan, the necessity for cardiovascular intervention continues to increa se. However, because intervention operations have been developed only recently, the education system for the corresponding specialists in ou r country has not been established yet. In this study, an intervention educational support system using a virtual reality (VR) technique was developed. Of course, intervention includes percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). PTCA is an operation enlarging the steno sis of the coronary artery with a balloon through a guide catheter. Th e technique that lets the guide wire for the PTCA balloon cross the st enosis is one of the most difficult. A simulation system for the manip ulation of a torque device for the PTCA guide wire was developed with this technology for VR. In virtual space, reconstitution of the 3-dime nsional coronary artery with atherosclerosis was performed, and the vi rtual PTCA system was produced experimentally. An interesting system w as produced experimentally as a system for the training of doctors stu dying to become interventional specialists. After the system was combi ned with an Expert system for treating ischemic heart diseases, its us efulness was steadily increased. With the development of more sophisti cated VR methodology in the future, a PTCA training system without usi ng a patient will be embodied.