Virtual-reality simulator helps teach surgery for brain cancer
September 24, 2012 A new virtual-reality simulator — including
sophisticated 3D graphics and tactile feedback — provides allows
neurosurgery trainees to practice essential skills and
techniques for brain cancer surgery. The prototype system,
called “NeuroTouch,” uses 3D graphics and haptic (sense of
touch) technology to provide a realistic look and feel for
practice in performing common tasks in brain cancer surgery.
Lead author Sébastien Delorme, PhD, of the National Research
Council Canada and colleagues believe the NeuroTouch system
could enhance “acquisition and assessment of technical skills”
for neurosurgeons in training. The NeuroTouch software simulates
what the neurosurgeon sees through the operating microscope
during surgery — including detailed, lifelike renderings of
brain tissue, blood vessels, and tumors. The system also
includes haptic tool manipulators, providing tactile feedback
similar to what the surgeon would feel during surger