Virtual reality, tissue-specific body model having user-variable tissue-specific attributes and a system and method for implementing the same

• US 6,310,619 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1998
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Institute Of Somatic Sciences
• Original Assignee: The Institute Of Somatic Sciences
• Inventors: Rice, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US09/189,776
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 345/418, 345/419, 345/420, 345/423
• US Class Current: 345/420
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings

Abstract

A three-dimensional, virtual reality, tissue specific model of a human or animal body which provides a high level of user-interactivity. The model functions can be analyzed and user-modified on a tissue-by-tissue basis, thereby allowing modeling of a wide variety of normal and abnormal tissue attributes and corresponding study thereof. The model can be user-modified through a keyboard, or other VR tools such as a haptic interface. The haptic interface can modify the model to correspond to the tissue attributes of a user, and can provide sensory output corresponding to the interaction of the model to a prescripted scene.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for displaying a three-dimensional, virtual reality, tissue-specific model of a human body comprising:

a computer readable memory device containing data and instructions for modeling said body by combination of a plurality of individual tissues which form said body, said data including user-variable tissue specific attribute data;

a central processing unit for displaying said model on a computer screen from said data and said instructions; and

a user input device for modifying said tissue specific attribute data, thereby allowing modification of said model based on user-defined tissue attributes.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said tissue attribute data includes data relating to Newtonian and biological parameters of said tissues.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said user input device is a keyboard.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein said user input device is a haptic interface.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said tissue attributes are modified based on tissue attributes of the user of said haptic interface.

6. A computer executable software program stored on a combination of a computer readable medium for animating a three-dimensional, virtual reality, tissue-specific model of a human body on a computer screen, the code comprising:

code for defining user-variable attribute data for a plurality of said tissues of said model, wherein said data controls the animation of said model on said computer screen.

7. A computer readable medium having computer executable software code stored thereon, the code for animating a three-dimensional virtual reality tissue-specific model of a human body, the code comprising:

code for defining user-variable attribute data for a plurality combination of a of said tissues of said model, wherein said data controls the animation of said model on said computer screen.

8. A three-dimensional, virtual reality model of a body, said model comprising:

a plurality of individual tissue representations combined to form said body, said representations being defined by user-variable, tissue-specific attribute data which controls animation of said model on a computer display.