3D Haptic Femur Interface for Medical Training

Medical personnel in training learn by practicing on real patients under supervision. Although effective, this approach is fraught with potential risks for both patient and trainee. Technological success involving other virtual training environments suggests that medical simulation has great potential to improve training time, quality, and efficiency; enhance patient care; and reduce medical risk and cost. This project will produce an examination/surgical simulation system prototype with a force feedback Haptic interface, modeled femur anatomy and tissue properties, and a virtual reality display that replicates the interactions of a surgical resident operating on a live patient. The specific aims are to: 1) develop force feedback Haptic surgical instruments; 2) model and simulate volumetric anatomic data from the Visible Human Project; 3) incorporate human tissue property measurements into anatomic models; 4) create a realistic interface consisting of the participant, Haptic tools, and virtual reality images; and 5) assess computational, force feedback, and display latency as well as Haptic and visual fidelity in order to simulate actual conditions during a surgical procedure. An integrated approach that takes the essential features of training in a real operating room and transforms them into the virtual environment will ensure DoD and market acceptance.