In the eyes of ordinary people, VR technology is a good hand to create a fantasy world, but its scope of application may not be so narrow, in the education field, VR can also become a learning tool, especially to help medical students practice those that are usually difficult to reach Surgery.
For example, Case Western Reserve University has announced that they will cut down the traditional anatomy lab. The days when medical students study around corpses will never come back. Instead, it will be Microsoft’s HoloLens hybrid reality system. . In this way, fledgling young doctors can wear HoloLens directly "see through" the different levels of the human body, skin, muscles, blood vessels, etc. can be clearly displayed in front of the eyes, but also 3D Oh.
However, for VR, this can only be regarded as a primary application. A British company is trying to build an operating room in VR environment for students to practice. The most amazing thing is that they also use tactile feedback to allow students to feel the most realistic response of the human body during surgery.
The company is called Fundamental VR. With their technology, young doctors do not have to show their immature skills in real life.
The system is also based on the Microsoft HoloLens, but in combination with the software developed by Fundamental VR and a standard robot arm with a stylus attached.
At the Hololens perspective, the stylus becomes a syringe, and the syringe is emptied at one button push, and the other will refill the injection. When the operator moves the stylus in the real world, the virtual injector will also make a synchronous action. After the virtual needle enters the virtual human body, different touches will be fed back to the operator through the stylus to let them feel the reaction of the real human body. .
Of course, don't think it's a shock to the stylus. It's completely different when the virtual needle is tied to fat and bones.
The first system of Fundamental VR was developed for the knee joint. Its customer is the pharmaceutical company Pacera, which uses this system to train clinicians how to use their anesthetic called Exparel.
Unlike traditional methods of use of anaesthetics, Pacera's new anaesthetic requires multiple injections. Most of the anaesthetic remains in the body. Unlike conventional single-point injections, anaesthetic spills from the injection hole. This change sometimes makes doctors scratch their heads, so VR teaching system came into being.
In order to build a realistic enough scene, the R&D staff took pictures of the knee from various angles and restored it to a 3D image. It is worth noting that the tactile hardware used in this system is available on the market, and that the stylus can be turned into a variety of medical tools in the VR world.
Picture from Fundamental V
Surgeons also participated in system developmentTo create a system that truly reproduces the surgical experience requires a combination of human intelligence and the latest technology. In order to simulate the knee replacement surgery scenario, Fundamental VR discussed with the plastic surgeon in detail each step and detail of the surgery.
“Surgery is not only science but also art. There are many options for any artistic job. It takes a lot of time to find the best way to deal with it. Once we stand at the door of success, we will face it. A lot of details of the challenges and changes throughout the operation. "Fundamental VR co-founder Richard Vincent said.
Surgeons in the process of system development are mainly responsible for transforming the real experience in the surgery into a virtual experience. Lei Fengnet learned that here they used the Touchamental VR's tactile development engine to bridge the gap between virtual and reality.
“We have built a calibration tool specifically: it is the core of the software. With it, we can translate doctors’ descriptions of the true feelings of surgery into precise numbers. After all, 'the needle pierces like an orange' It can't be quantified,†Vincent said.
Orthopaedic surgeon Stan Dysart specializes in joint replacement surgery. He is also one of the surgeons who advise the system. With the help of these doctors, Fundamental VR can make this knee surgery simulation system so true.
"The haptic device used here has a scoring system. I mainly help them determine what it feels like in the muscle, fat, joint capsule, bone and cartilage," Dr. Dysart said.
Dr. Dysart said: "The joint capsule will produce a certain resistance to the needle, and when you penetrate it, the resistance will be gone. Then we will score such tactile feedback. We have never missed each part of the knee. The computer can Understand these scores, the higher the score, the greater the power of simulation."
After scoring from all levels of muscle to bone, the haptic system can reflect it into virtual surgery. To make the entire experience smooth enough, this system uses a powerful GPU.
It is reported that this system has begun to serve in many medical centers throughout the United States. "The surgeons love it, everyone likes the experience it brings, and practicing on this system, doctors no longer have to worry about hurting patients. The most important thing is that we need to consider cutting in surgery. How deep, from where to knife, where to injection and other issues, after all, but the knees are dense areas of nerves and arteries.†Dr. Dysart said. "However, in the virtual world, even if your needle is too deep, it will not harm the patient. At the same time, doctors can learn lessons through repeated training and tactile feedback until they have the right technique."
In addition to the knee arthroscope, Fundamental VR also has three VR surgical simulation systems under development. Soft tissue and spinal surgery may be officially launched this summer.
Teaching artifactsRight now, Fundamental VR is negotiating with educational institutions. They want their systems to become teaching artifacts in the medical education market. Not only can rookie people use it to practice their hands, but old doctors can also learn new technologies through this system. Unfortunately, although Fundamental VR has already actively contacted medical educational institutions in London and other countries, it still focuses on the US market.
In addition to continuing to customize surgical simulation systems for specific customers, the company will also want to create a database of surgical procedures in the future. Of course, this database will use the pay-for-use model. At the same time, Fundamental VR intends to use this system to expose students to more inconvenient diseases after standard anatomy teaching.
"With this system, the so-called operating procedures can be retired, which is good for most medical students. But at the neurological level, perhaps the meaning of the teaching of this system is not so significant, after all, these diseases A doctor can't meet more than a year, and there are fewer doctors needed,†Vincent said.
In addition, the haptic system does not perform perfectly in all operations. For some senior surgeons in the medical field, the system is still too much like a computer game. The rookie who has just started playing is OK. When it reaches a higher level, it is better than nothing. Now.
"Medical surgeries are race against time. When you face the critical situation of plasma spills, you must solve them as quickly as possible. With the simulator, doctors can see more of this critical situation, and when they are not, they are not easy to mess around," explains Vincent. .
No need to use patients to practiceWith the advancement of VR technology and lower equipment prices, Lei Fengwang believes that before the operation, doctors can use the haptic system and VR equipment to practice their hands on virtual patients in advance. With the previous "rehearsal", they will not be in a rush during real surgery.
The future of VR medical care not only has to shoulder the task of training novice doctors, but also becomes a super simulator for top doctors, so that incurable diseases can nowhere.
However, regardless of the nature of VR medical use, its teaching and training functions can benefit the newly recruited doctors, and the improvement of the doctor's skills is also responsible for the patient.
R&M Bar,9000Puffs Disposable Vape,9000Puff E-Cigarette Device,R&M Disposable Vape Pen
Shenzhen Uscool Technology Co., Ltd , https://www.uscoolvape.com