Simulation and training of lumbar punctures using haptic volume rendering and a 6DOF haptic device

Matthias Färber; Julika Heller; Heinz Handels

doi:10.1117/12.709253

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21 March 2007 Simulation and training of lumbar punctures using haptic volume rendering and a 6DOF haptic device

Matthias Färber, Julika Heller, Heinz Handels

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Proceedings Volume 6509, Medical Imaging 2007: Visualization and Image-Guided Procedures; 65090F (2007) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.709253
Event: Medical Imaging, 2007, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

The lumbar puncture is performed by inserting a needle into the spinal chord of the patient to inject medicaments or to extract liquor. The training of this procedure is usually done on the patient guided by experienced supervisors. A virtual reality lumbar puncture simulator has been developed in order to minimize the training costs and the patient's risk. We use a haptic device with six degrees of freedom (6DOF) to feedback forces that resist needle insertion and rotation. An improved haptic volume rendering approach is used to calculate the forces. This approach makes use of label data of relevant structures like skin, bone, muscles or fat and original CT data that contributes information about image structures that can not be segmented. A real-time 3D visualization with optional stereo view shows the punctured region. 2D visualizations of orthogonal slices enable a detailed impression of the anatomical context. The input data consisting of CT and label data and surface models of relevant structures is defined in an XML file together with haptic rendering and visualization parameters. In a first evaluation the visible human male data has been used to generate a virtual training body. Several users with different medical experience tested the lumbar puncture trainer. The simulator gives a good haptic and visual impression of the needle insertion and the haptic volume rendering technique enables the feeling of unsegmented structures. Especially, the restriction of transversal needle movement together with rotation constraints enabled by the 6DOF device facilitate a realistic puncture simulation.

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Matthias Färber, Julika Heller, and Heinz Handels "Simulation and training of lumbar punctures using haptic volume rendering and a 6DOF haptic device", Proc. SPIE 6509, Medical Imaging 2007: Visualization and Image-Guided Procedures, 65090F (21 March 2007); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.709253

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