SIMULATION OF ENDOSCOPIC SURGERY

This paper describes preliminary work on virtual reality technology ap plied to liver surgery and proposes several enhancements leading towar ds realistic surgical simulation. We have built a realistic model of t he liver, including the capsule and the four internal arborescences, f rom a complete set of slice images. A linear elastic biomechanical mod el was computed using a finite elements method (FEM). This task was pe rformed off line, by pre-computing all possible deformations and force reactions. This approach allows real-time interaction during the simu lation. The user interaction is effected by a set of mechanical device s, representing laparoscopic instruments. This haptic interface allows the surgeon to feel the contact forces exerted by the virtual deforma ble liver-model. The main medical applications of the simulator are in surgical planning, teaching and training. The combination of surgical planning and simulation will lead to improved intervention efficiency and optimal care delivery.