Development of a PC-based real-time surgical simulator

Presently, in constructing a surgical simulator, a high-performance graphics workstation (GWS) has generally been used because it is necessary that a highly faithful surgical image be generated in real time. There exist problems, however, in cost, operation, and working environment, which have prevented the widespread use of the simulator. In order to solve this problem, the authors constructed a real-time PC-based surgical simulator for the training of ophthalmologists in vitreoretinal surgery, based on the results of evaluation of a surgical simulator developed on GWS. From this study, the necessary conditions for the simulator have been identified, and a PC-based surgical simulator satisfying these conditions has been successfully constructed. The constructed system can perform the following operations. The surgical image is displayed in stereo vision, through a binocular stereo vision display. The tactile sensation of surgical tool insertion is provided by using a simulated tool device. The surgery scene can be controlled by operating a foot switch. The constructed surgical simulator provides an environment which effectively simulates real surgery. If an increased number of ophthalmologists can use the proposed simulator more easily for repetitive surgery training, surgical techniques will be improved, and new surgical procedures may be developed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 33(7): 11–20, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.10076