Interactive medical training system and method

• US 20050221263A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mentice AB
• Original Assignee: Xitact SA
• Inventors: Launay, Murielle, Vecerina, Ivan, Zoethout, Jurjen
• Granted Patent: US 8,591,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/262
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/285 for injections, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, sigmoidscopy, insertion of contraceptive devices or enemas

Abstract

A method for training a user in a medical procedure utilizes an interactive computer system with a virtual representation of at least one organ and at least one instrument. The representation of surface area parts of the virtual organ to be treated are covered with a graphical identification marker. The computer system includes a table stored in memory comprising situations arising within the medical procedure predefined through positions of the instrument(s), positions of the organ(s), the logical sequence of steps to be executed within the medical procedure, different aspect values for the graphical identification markers and assessment values for the situation. Upon interaction of the user with the at least one organ and the at least one instrument, one or more graphical identification markers change their aspect according to the stored value in the table for the predefined situation and the corresponding assessment value is stored in a history log table within the computer system.

Claims

1. A method for training a user in a medical procedure utilizing an interactive computer system with a virtual representation of at least one organ and at least one instrument, wherein the representation of at least one organ part of the virtual organ to be treated is covered with at least one graphical identification marker, wherein the computer system comprises a table stored in memory comprising situations arising within the medical procedure predefined through positions of the instrument(s), positions of the organ(s), the logical sequence of steps to be executed within said medical procedure, one or more different aspect values for the one or more graphical identification markers and one or more assessment values for said situation, wherein upon interaction of the user with the at least one organ and the at least one instrument one or more graphical identification markers change their aspect according to the stored value in said table for the predefined situation and the corresponding assessment value is stored in a history log table within the computer system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the graphical identification marker is a spot, a ring contour, a line, a polygonal surface or a volume area.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the change of aspect of a graphical identification marker is a change of color according to a color table.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the assessment value is correlated to a success-and-error-table comprising predefined assessment information.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said table of situations comprise one-, two-, or three-dimensional interval values for the position of the organs and instruments.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one organ part of the virtual organ is a surface area part or a 3D organ part.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a change of aspect of a graphical identification marker for a 3D organ part is different from the change of aspect for a surface area part.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the virtual representation is based on a visible light endoscopic representation or an X-ray representation.

9. The method for training a user in a medical procedure utilizing an interactive computer system with a virtual representation of an organ and at least one instrument, said medical procedure having a plurality of steps to be performed one after another, wherein each of the plurality of steps is subdivided into identical sub-steps, wherein at least one sub-step comprises a method, wherein the representation of at least one organ part of the virtual organ to be treated is covered with at least one graphical identification marker, wherein the computer system comprises a table stored in memory comprising situations arising within the medical procedure predefined through positions of the instrument(s), positions of the organ(s), the logical sequence of steps to be executed within said medical procedure, one or more different aspect values for the one or more graphical identification markers and one or more assessment values for said situation, wherein upon interaction of the user with the at least one organ and the at least one instrument one or more graphical identification markers change their aspect according to the stored value in said table for the predefined situation and the corresponding assessment value is stored in a history log table within the computer system.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the sub-steps comprise one or more of the following steps:

a prerecorded video representation of said step within a real intervention,

a prerecorded virtual reality video representation of the intervention to be performed within said step based on the structure of the virtual reality environment,

instructions for the intervention of said step,

a prerecorded virtual reality graphical stills or video representation of common errors within said step,

a training session of said step without guidance.

11. A system for training a user in a medical procedure comprising an interactive computer system, able to create a virtual representation of at least one organ and at least one instrument, wherein the representation of organ parts of the virtual organ to be treated are covered with at least one graphical identification marker, wherein the computer system comprises a table stored in his memory comprising situations arising within the medical procedure predefined through positions of the instrument(s), positions of the organ(s), the logical sequence of steps to be executed within said medical procedure, one or more different aspect values for the one or more graphical identification markers and one or more assessment values for said situation, wherein upon interaction of the user with the at least one organ and the at least one instrument one or more graphical identification markers change their aspect according to the stored value in said table for the predefined situation and the corresponding assessment value is stored in a history log table within the computer system.