Education and demonstration – Anatomy – physiology – therapeutic treatment – or surgery...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-16
2001-09-04
Rovnak, John Edmund (Department: 3713)
Education and demonstration
Anatomy, physiology, therapeutic treatment, or surgery...
C434S267000, C434S272000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283763
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a medical operation simulation system. More particularly, the invention relates to a medical operation simulator and a method of controlling the simulator. The simulator enables an operator to simulate a medical operation by manipulating an imitation instrument provided on an operation input device, thereby moving a virtual instrument in a virtual space, with respect to a three-dimensional image constructed from slice images formed by means of X-ray CT, MRI, MRA or the like, and which displays the positional relation between a region of interest and each virtual instrument moving as the operator operates the operation input device.
A medical operation may be simulated and navigated by using slice images such as X-ray CT images, MRI images or MRA images. The simulation and navigation thus performed are important since they help operators to plan procedures for operations to be performed or to support operators to perform operations.
In the present specification, operative navigation performed during actual operations will be called “simulation,” too.
Simulation and navigation are effected by using slice images which have been formed at regular intervals. Important regions and anti-invasive regions, such as the affected parts, the blood vessels and the nerve, are extracted from the slice images and visualized. The simulation assists the operator, enabling him or she to move the virtual instruments without touching the virtual anti-invasive regions.
A method of performing operative navigation is known, as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. No. 8-10266. In the method, the positions of the instruments being used in an operation are detected, slice images that correspond to the instruments are selected, and patterns indicating the positions of the instruments are displayed and superimposed on the slice images. And an alarm is generated when any instrument approaches a critical region.
To accomplish more realistic simulation it is effective to display three-dimensional images. The three-dimensional images displayed reduce the visual discrepancy between the real regions and instruments, on the one hand, and the virtual regions and instruments, on the other. Thus, more correct simulation can be carried out.
In the conventional method described above, medical instruments only are displayed and superimposed on the slice images. No three-dimensional images are displayed. This makes it difficult for operators to grasp the three-dimensional relationship between the position of each instrument and the position of any region.
In the conventional method, an alarm is generated when any instrument comes within a predetermined distance from an anti-invasive region. However, it is impossible to determine minute changes in the distance between the instrument and the region.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing. The object of the invention is to provide a medical operation simulation system which includes a medical operation simulator and a method of controlling the simulator. The simulator reconstructs three-dimensional images from slice images, displays the three-dimensional images, enables an operator to operate a operation input device to move virtual instruments on a display and presents data showing how much any instrument has approached a region of interest, thereby accomplishing high-reality simulation. Comprising the simulator and the method of controlling the simulator, the medical operation simulation system can present the approach data to the operator.
To attain the object, a medical operation simulator according to an aspect of the invention comprises: a three-dimensional image reconstructing device for processing data representing slice images, thereby to generate three-dimensional image data, and supplying the three-dimensional image data to a display device; an instrument-image forming device for forming an image of a medical instrument, the image moving in the same way that a medical instrument provided on an operation input device is manipulated by an operator, and for supplying data representing the image of the medical instrument to the display device, thereby to display the image of the medical instrument together with a three-dimensional image represented by the three-dimensional image data generated by the three-dimensional image reconstructing device and an approach data presenting device for converting data showing an approach of the medical instrument toward a region of interest into at least one of an aural sensation, visual sensation, pressure sensation and touch sensation by performing approach data presentation processing, and for presenting at least one of the aural sensation, visual sensation, pressure sensation and touch sensation.
To achieve the object, a method of controlling a medical operation simulator, according to another aspect of the invention, comprises: processing data representing slice images, thereby to generate three-dimensional image data, and then supplying the three-dimensional image data to a display device; forming an image of a medical instrument, the image moving in the same way that a medical instrument provided on an operation input device is manipulated by an operator, and then supplying data representing the image of the medical instrument to the display device, thereby to display the image of the medical instrument together with a three-dimensional image represented by the three-dimensional image data generated; and converting data showing an approach of the medical instrument toward a region of interest into at least one of an aural sensation, visual sensation, pressure sensation and touch sensation by performing an approach data presentation processing, and presenting at least one of the aural sensation, visual sensation, pressure sensation and touch sensation.
The present invention makes it possible to perform an accurate simulation, because the operator can know how much the image of the instrument has approached, or how far it is positioned from, an affected part or a critical region, while observing the three-dimensional image displayed.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5882206 (1999-03-01), Gillio
patent: 5971767 (1999-10-01), Kaufman et al.
patent: 6083163 (2000-07-01), Wegner et al.
patent: 8-10266 (1996-01-01), None
Asano Takeo
Matsuzaki Hiroshi
Saito Akito
Shibasaki Takao
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
Rovnak John Edmund
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