Real-Time Surgical Simulation with Haptic Sensation as Collaborated Works between Japan and Germany

Abstract

As part of an application of tele-virtual surgery and a force feedback device, surgeons in Japan and Germany examined a hepatectomy simulation system. Surgeons in each country could be performed various surgical maneuvers upon the same patient by using our system. Surgeons palpated abdominal skin, made electrical scalpel incisions and widened the incision line by using surgical tools in virtual space. The user can convey tactile sensations by the force feedback device while surgeons performed a virtual operation. Two graphic workstations of equal capability and force feedback devices were engaged in each location. As each workstation communicated only event signals through an ISDN (64Kb) line, it made possible to obtain real time televirtual surgery without a large capacity communication infrastructure.KeywordsTactile SensationSurgical SimulationHaptic SensationVirtual SurgeryJapanese SurgeonThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.