Surgical simulation device, system and method

• US 20050032028A1
• Filed: 07/15/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simbionix Limited (Surgical Science Sweden AB)
• Original Assignee: Simbionix Limited (Surgical Science Sweden AB)
• Inventors: Barkay, David, Fisher, Niv, Bronstein, Ran, Chosack, Edna
• Granted Patent: US 7,850,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/262
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/32 with moving parts

Abstract

A device system and method for simulating laparoscopic procedures, particulary for the purposes of instruction and/or demonstration. The system comprises one or more virtual organs to be operated on. The organ comprises a plurality of elements, each element having neighboring elements; and a plurality of tensioned connections connecting neighboring elements over said organ, such that force applied at one of said elements propagates via respective neighboring elements provides a distributed reaction over said organ. In addition there is a physical manipulation device for manipulation by a user; and a tracking arrangement for king said physical manipulation device and translating motion of said physical manipulation device into application of form onto said virtual organ. The system is capable of simulating organs moving, cutting, suturing, coagulations and other surgical and surgery-related operations.

Claims

1. A virtual organ for use in simulated medical procedures, the organ comprising:

a plurality of elements, each element having neighboring elements;

a plurality of tensioned connections connecting neighboring elements over said organ, such that force applied at one of said elements propagates via respective neighboring elements to provide a distributed reaction over said organ.

2. The virtual organ of claim 1, further comprising a network of spline curves to simulate a blood circulation network of said organ.

3. The virtual organ of claim 2, wherein said spline curves are arranged in a tree and branch configuration.

4. The virtual organ of claim 3, wherein said spline curves are connected such that a force applied at one of said spline curves propagates through connected spline curves over said tree and branch configurations.

5. The virtual organ of claim 3, wherein said spline curves have respective lengths and are surrounded circumferentially by tubular meshes.

6. The virtual organ of claim 5, wherein said tubular meshes comprise radii that vary along said lengths.

7. The virtual organ of claim 5, wherein said tubular meshes comprise profiles that vary along said lengths.

8. The virtual organ of claim 5, wherein said tubular meshes comprise textures that vary along said lengths.

9. The viol organ of claim 1, wherein at least one of said elements is a core element whose movement under application of a force is subject to an additional constraint.

10. The virtual organ of claim 9, wherein said core element is connected to a control point of a spline cure simulating a blood vessel, thereby to cause said additional constraint to propagate to said spline curve.

11. The virtual organ of claim 9, wherein said core element is part of an outer skin of said organ, and said additional constraint is to retain said core element in a predetermined position, thereby to provide a restorative force to neighboring elements thereof.

12. The virtual organ of claim 11, further configured to be temporarily disconnected from said at least one core element to allow a global movement of said organ.

13. The virtual organ of claim 12, further being configured to permit connection of additional tensioned connections to oppositely facing elements thereof during said global movement.

14. The virtual organ of claim 1, comprising at least one additional element to provide a gravitational effect on said organ.

15. The virtual organ of claim 1, associated with a tracking arrangement, wherein said force is applied thereto in accordance with tracking of a physical tool by said tracking arrangement.

16. The virtual organ of claim 15, wherein said tracking arrangement is an optical tracking arrangement.

17. The virtual organ of claim 15, wherein said tracking arrangement is an ultrasound tracking arrangement.

18. A system for simulation of a surgical procedure comprising:

a) at least one virtual organ comprising;

a plurality of elements, each element having neighboring elements; and

a plurality of tensioned connections connecting neighboring elements over said organ, such that force applied at one of said elements propagates via respective neighboring elements provides a distributed reaction over said organ;

b) a physical manipulation device for manipulation by a user, and

c) a tracking arrangement for tracking said physical manipulation device and translating motion of said physical manipulation device into application of forces onto said vita organ.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a feedback unit for providing force feed back to said physical manipulation device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said physical manipulation device is a laparoscopy tool.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein said tacking arrangement is an optical tracking arrangement.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein said tracking arrangement is an ultrasound tracking arrangement.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein said virtual organ further comprises a network of spline curves to simulate a blood circulation network of said organ.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said spline curves arc arranged in a tree and branch configuration.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said spline curves are connected such that a force applied at one of said spline curves propagates through connected spline curves over said tree and branch configurations.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said spline curves have respective lengths and are surrounded circumferentially by tubular meshes.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said tubular meshes coke radii that vary along said length.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said tubular meshes comprise profiles that vary along said lengths.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein said tubular me comprise textures that vary along said lengths.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one of said elements is a core element whose movement under application of a force is subject to an additional constraint.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said core element is connected to a control point of a spline curve simulating a blood vessel, thereby to cause said motion constraint to propagate to said spline curve.

32. A method for simulating an interaction with an organ, comprising:

constructing a simulated organ using a plurality of particles and spring/damper (SD) sets, ones of said plurality of particles being connected to others of said particles by said SD set thereby to provide a plurality of connected particles to collectively model a mechanical geometric behavior of the organ;

simulating a physical force on the organ by applying a simulated instrument to a location on said organ corresponding to at least one of said particles, said force being allowed to alter at least one physical characteristic of the organ according to application of said force to said at least one of said particles directly, and according to application of said force indirectly via said SD set to others of said particles;

thereby to include indirect effects of said force over said organ in said simulating.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said constructing a simulated organ further comprises adding a tree structure of spline curves within said organ to simulate blood vessels.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said adding a tree structure comprises surrounding respective ones of said spline curves with meshworks of variable radii.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein said constructing said simulated organ comprises adding a structure of elastic elements to simulate connecting tissue of said organ.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein said simulated instrument is a simulated surgical instrument.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein said simulated instrument is a simulated laparoscopy instrument.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein said simulating a physical force is simulating any one of a group comprising:

moving said organ, cutting said organ, pressing said organ, suturing said organ, and carrying out a coagulation at said organ.

39. The method of claim 32, comprising linking each of said particles to each neighboring particle via one of said SD sets, such that motion at each panicle brings about secondary motion at neighbors thereof.

40. The method of claim 35, comprising constructing said elastic elements to simulate physical properties of elastic bands.

41. The method of claim 35, comprising connecting said elastic elements to two points in the simulated organ.

42. The method of claim 32, comprising a simulation of deformations as a result of interaction with other virtual objects using sliding contact points.

43. The method of claim 35, further comprising configuring said elastic elements to apply forces back to points of connection or contact points as a result of stretching or deformation of said elastic elements.

44. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

constructing a visual display model of the organ according to a plurality of polygons, said polygons being connected at vertices of said polygons;

determining a correspondence between each particle and each vertex; and

simulating a visual display of the organ according to said simulation of the organ and according to said correspondence.

45. A method for simulating a surgical procedure on a body component, comprising:

constructing at least the body component as a plurality of particles and spring/damper (SD) sets, wherein at least one of said plurality of particles is connected by at least one SD set to at least one other particle, such that movement at one of said connected particles leads to an effect on another particle connected thereto; and

simulating a physical interaction with a physical force on at least one of said particles, such that said physical interaction propagates over the body component via respectively connected SD sets following application of said force to said at least one particle;

wherein said physical interaction is part of said surgical procedure.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

altering a visual display of at least the body component at least partially according to said physical interaction.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said alteration of said visual display is performed by:

constructing a visual display model of at least the body component according to a plurality of polygons, said polygons being connected at vertices of said polygons,

determining a correspondence between each particle and each vertex; and

simulating a visual display of at least the body component according to said simulation of at least the body component and according to said correspondence.

48. The method of claim 45, comprising performing said physical interaction according to a behavior of a simulated tool.

49. The method of claim 48, comprising using tracking of a physical manipulation device to define said behavior of said simulated tool.