Virtual Reality Used to Simulate Brain Surgery

A new virtual reality system provides advanced graphics and tactile feedback during simulated brain surgery, allowing neurosurgery trainees to practice essential skills and techniques.

Developed by the National Research Council Canada (NRC; Ottawa), the prototype NeuroTouch system was designed to provide neurosurgical trainees with a realistic look and feel while practicing basic surgical skills when performing brain cancer surgery. The NeuroTouch software produces three-dimensional (3D) graphics, simulating what the neurosurgeon sees through the operating microscope during surgery -- including detailed, lifelike renderings of brain tissue, blood vessels, and tumors. The system also includes haptic tool manipulators, providing tactile feedback similar to what the surgeon would feel during surgery.

The researchers also designed training tasks, such as removing a brain tumor while leaving normal tissues intact, using two different suction devices. In this simulation, the system provides touch and visual cues to discriminate between healthy tissue and brain tumor. In the other task, the surgeon must remove a vascularized tumor while controlling blood loss. The blood vessels and tissues look realistic, including normal pulsations. The vessels bleed when the surgeon applies a cutting tool and stop bleeding when he or she uses a simulated cautery tool.


Both tasks were developed using 3D reconstructions of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan data from actual patients. With further development, the system may be used to not only practice basic procedures but also allow neurosurgeons to simulate and practice actual operations, based on the patient's own MRI scan. The next step will be to evaluate the new system in actual neurosurgical training programs. The study describing the new system and the development process was published in the September 2012 issue of Neurosurgery.

“The NeuroTouch system could enhance acquisition and assessment of technical skills for neurosurgeons in training,” said lead author Sébastien Delorme, PhD, of the NRC. “First generation NeuroTouch prototypes have been set up in seven teaching hospitals across Canada, to be used for beta testing and validation and evaluated for integration in a neurosurgery training curriculum. A new generation of NeuroTouch simulators is currently being deployed worldwide.”

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National Research Council Canada