Virtual environments technology to aid needle biopsies of the breast. An example of real-time data fusion.
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Biopsy, Needle↗
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Results for “virtual environment”
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
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The teleos virtual environment toolkit for simulation-based surgical education.
In the past, surgical simulations have largely been created through the development of dedicated applications that require considerable programming and computer graphics skills. Advances in simulation-based surgical education have been limited by this dependence on computer graphics programming expertise. To lower barriers to the adoption of simulation-based training, we are developing tools based on Teleos, software technology that allows a wide variety of medical content developers to author surgical training simulations without programming.
Computer Graphics↗
Virtual environments for training critical skills in laparoscopic surgery.
Surgical training simulations must incorporate not only advanced technical features, such as detailed geometric organ models and physically-based modeling techniques, but also a thorough understanding of the major training issues relating to a particular procedure. We have developed a prototype environment for training laparoscopic cholecystectomy, or gallbladder removal surgery, which focuses a student's attention on the critical steps performed during the procedure and provides feedback as to the common errors committed during a session. The current version of our system runs in real-time on a mid-range graphics workstation. The simulation also provides a platform for research into a variety of different areas, including tissue modeling, finite element methods, and generalized simulation authoring.
Algorithms↗
A window on regional cerebral blood flow via voluntary hand activity using a whole hand input in a virtual environment.
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Brain Mapping↗
A virtual environment for the assessment and the rehabilitation of the visuo-constructional ability in dementia patients.
This study proposes a VE that offers a reliable diagnosis of the stage of cognitive decline in dementia patients and assists the delay of this decline in terms of the visuo-constructional ability. The proposed VE, in the case of the assessment, presents a visuo-constructional completion task, which requires spatial perception, motor memory and the perception of the target object. In the case of the rehabilitation the VE uses sound as audio-feedback that, with the aid of the music perception, tends to develop an enhancement in the visuo-construction ability of the dementia patients that can be generalized even outside of the VE. The study examined 30 subjects that were normal controls (N), 30 patients suffering from memory disorders (Age-Associated Memory Impairment--AAMI) and 30 suffering from Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The results showed that there is a significant correlation between the performance in the visuo-constructional task and the dementia diagnosis. It also seems that the visuo-constructional ability of the (AD) patients can be statistically improved by the audio experience in the VE. The empirical results of this study offer an alternative diagnosis and treatment of dementia patients and could share some light in the brain sub-systems that are responsible for the visuo-constructional ability. Further studies are required in order to investigate the nature of this phenomenon more.
Aged↗
The influence of an immersive virtual environment on the segmental organization of postural stabilizing responses.
We examined the effect of a 3-dimensional stereoscopic scene on segmental stabilization. Eight subjects participated in static sway and locomotion experiments with a visual scene that moved sinusoidally or at constant velocity about the pitch or roll axes. Segmental displacements, Fast Fourier Transforms, and Root Mean Square values were calculated. In both pitch and roll, subjects exhibited greater magnitudes of motion in head and trunk than ankle. Smaller amplitudes and frequent phase reversals suggested control of the ankle by segmental proprioceptive inputs and ground reaction forces rather than by the visual-vestibular signals. Postural controllers may set limits of motion at each body segment rather than be governed solely by a perception of the visual vertical. Two locomotor strategies were also exhibited, implying that some subjects could override the effect of the roll axis optic flow field. Our results demonstrate task dependent differences that argue against using static postural responses to moving visual fields when assessing more dynamic tasks.
Adult↗
Engineering in a virtual environment.
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Aircraft↗
Challenges realising effective radiological interventional virtual environments: the CRaIVE approach.
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Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures↗
A networked haptic virtual environment for teaching temporal bone surgery.
This paper describes a computer system for teaching temporal bone surgery using networked haptic work benches. The system enables an instructor and student to collaboratively explore and drill a volumetric bone model including significant anatomical features. Subjective evaluations by otologists have been favourable, and experimental trials are planned.
Australia↗
Collaborative biomedical data exploration in distributed virtual environments.
Imaging techniques such as MRI, fMRI, CT and PET have provided doctors with a means to acquire high-resolution biomedical images that serve as the foundation for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Experts with a multitude of backgrounds, including radiologists, anatomists, psychiatrists and neuroscientists now collaboratively analyze the same images to extract a better understanding of the encoded information. Unfortunately, access to these specialists at the same physical location is not always possible and new tools and techniques are required to facilitate simultaneous and collaborative exploration of volumetric data between spatially separated domain experts. This paper presents CVMED, a collaborative visualization environment for volumetric biomedical data-sets, supporting heterogeneous hardware, rendering and display systems connected via heterogeneous networks. CVMED provides the user with the algorithms and tools for stereoscopic as well as monoscopic data visualization and annotation along with the middleware needed to exchange the resulting visuals between all participants in real-time.
Biomedical Technology↗
A software framework for surgical simulation virtual environments.
Surgical simulators are an integration of many models, capabilities, and functions. Development of a working simulator requires the flexibility to integrate various software models, to support interoperability, and facilitate performance optimizations. An object oriented framework is devised to support multithreaded integration of simulation, deformation, and interaction. A demonstration application has been implemented in Java, leveraging the features that are built into the language including multithreading, synchronization, and serialization. Future work includes expanding the capabilities of the framework with a broader range of model and interactive capabilities.
Computer Simulation↗
Virtual environments.
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Artificial Intelligence↗
Eye trackers in a virtual laparoscopic training environment.
Virtual laparoscopic training systems have been shown to differentiate between the skills of experienced and novice laparoscopic surgeons. Measures such as total number of errors and completion time are used to assess skill, but these metrics do not give much insight into the processes behind skilled behavior in simulated laparoscopic tasks. The eye gaze of 2 groups of subjects, one experienced with laparoscopic surgery, and the other with no experience, was recorded while they performed an aiming task in a virtual laparoscopic trainer. The experienced subject committed much lower number of errors than the novices. Initial analysis of the eye data showed that the novice group tended to gaze on the tool they are controlling more often than the experienced subject.
Education, Medical↗
The use of virtual reality exposure in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
One possible alternative to standard in vivo exposure may be virtual reality exposure. Virtual reality integrates real-time computer graphics, body tracking devices, visual displays, and other sensory input devices to immerse a participant in a computer-generated virtual environment. Virtual reality exposure (VRE) is potentially an efficient and cost-effective treatment of anxiety disorders. VRE therapy has been successful in reducing the fear of heights in the first known controlled study of virtual reality in the treatment of a psychological disorder. Outcome was assessed on measures of anxiety, avoidance, attitudes, and distress. Significant group differences were found on all measures such that the VRE group was significantly improved at posttreatment but the control group was unchanged. The efficacy of virtual reality exposure therapy was also supported for the fear of flying in a case study. The potential for virtual reality exposure treatment for these and other disorders is explored.
Anxiety Disorders↗
Virtual reality exposure therapy.
It has been proposed that virtual reality (VR) exposure may be an alternative to standard in vivo exposure. Virtual reality integrates real-time computer graphics, body tracking devices, visual displays, and other sensory input devices to immerse a participant in a computer-generated virtual environment. Virtual reality exposure is potentially an efficient and cost-effective treatment of anxiety disorders. VR exposure therapy reduced the fear of heights in the first controlled study of virtual reality in treatment of a psychiatric disorder. A case study supported the efficacy of VR exposure therapy for the fear of flying. The potential for virtual reality exposure treatment for these and other disorders is explored, and therapeutic issues surrounding the delivery of VR exposure are discussed.
Fear↗
An investigation into factors influencing immersion in interactive virtual reality environments.
Two interactive virtual reality environments were used to identify factors that may affect, or be affected by, the degree of immersion in a virtual world. In particular, the level of stress in a "swimming with dolphins" simulation is measured, as is the degree of simulator sickness resulting form a virtual roller coaster. Analysis of the results indicates that a relationship between the degree of immersion and the following factors: excitement, comfort, quality and age. The following factors are found to depend on the degree of immersion: simulator sickness, control, excitement and desire to repeat the experience.
Adolescent↗
Building a learning community on-line: the first step towards a national virtual learning environment in orthodontics.
Virtual learning environments (VLEs) are attractive solutions for the delivery of education on-line. Orthodontic education online has the potential to alleviate some of the problems caused by increasing demands on academic staff, the impact of the European work time directives and changes in junior doctors' hours. All act to constrain the effective training of orthodontic postgraduates. The design of a VLE is driven by modern concepts in learning and teaching, the structure, content and assessment methods will help determine the range of behaviours any programme hopes to encourage. This paper aims to provide information on how a modular specialist-training programme in the United Kingdom has been developed and enhanced by a VLE.
Computer-Assisted Instruction↗
Spatial knowledge of a real school environment acquired from virtual or physical models by able-bodied children and children with physical disabilities.
In Experiment 1, 2 groups of able-bodied children were exposed to both a complex single-tier virtual environment (VE) and a physical model of a different environment. For 1 group, the VE accurately modeled a real school, and for the other group the physical model did so. In transfer testing in the real school, orientation accuracy was greater in the group exposed to the VE of the real school. In Experiment 2, children with physical disabilities explored the VE model of the real school and were tested as in the 1st experiment. Measures of orientation accuracy and map-placing were significantly better in this group than in the guessing adult control group. The results illustrate the potential for VEs as useful spatial training media.
Adolescent↗