Temporal bone dissection simulator for training pediatric otolaryngology surgeons

Cochlear implantation is the standard of care for infants born with severe hearing loss. Current guidelines approve the surgical placement of implants as early as 12 months of age. Implantation at a younger age poses a greater surgical challenge since the underdeveloped mastoid tip, along with thin calvarial bone, creates less room for surgical navigation and can result in increased surgical risk. We have been developing a temporal bone dissection simulator based on actual clinical cases for training otolaryngology fellows in this delicate procedure. The simulator system is based on pre-procedure CT (Computed Tomography) images from pediatric infant cases (<12 months old) at our hospital. The simulator includes: (1) simulation engine to provide the virtual reality of the temporal bone surgery environment, (2) a newly developed haptic interface for holding the surgical drill, (3) an Oculus Rift to provide a microscopic-like view of the temporal bone surgery, and (4) user interface to interact with the simulator through the Oculus Rift and the haptic device. To evaluate the system, we have collected 10 representative CT data sets and segmented the key structures: cochlea, round window, facial nerve, and ossicles. The simulator will present these key structures to the user and warn the user if needed by continuously calculating the distances between the tip of surgical drill and the key structures.