Method and system for simulating surgical procedures

Abstract

A system and method for converting static/still medical images of a particular patient into dynamic and interactive images interacting with medical tools models including models of medical devices by coupling a model of tissue dynamics and tool characteristics to the patient specific imagery for simulating a medical procedure in an accurate and dynamic manner, where the simulation can be shared with others even in remote locations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A modeling system for enabling a user to perform a simulated medical procedure, said system comprising:
 at least a first and second computer system, each one of said computer systems including a separate display for displaying images to the user;   a database for storing data of physical characteristics of an organ and surrounding tissue that were transformed by execution of software instructions from actual images of a real organ and surrounding tissues;   a computer network connecting the first computer system to the second computer system;   a user interface provided on said first computer system configured to receive user inputs from a first user for realistically simulating a medical procedure for display on the display of the first computer system, said user inputs being utilized to execute software on said first computer system configured to display to the user a user tool image representing a real surgical tool dynamically interacting with a realistic image of the organ and surrounding tissue based on said user inputs and said data of physical characteristics of the organ and surrounding tissue retrieved from said database, such that said display displays the realistic image exhibiting color and texture of the real organ and surrounding tissue to provide the simulated medical procedure based on the user inputs; and   software configured to execute on said second computer system to contemporaneously display, to a second user, the realistic image of the simulated medical procedure being performed by the first user using the first computer system.   
     
     
         2 . The modeling system of  claim 1 , wherein said first computer system is located remotely located from said second computer system, wherein said first computer system communicates with said second computer system over a public communication network. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said user input interface includes a feedback mechanism for providing realistic feedback to the user, said feedback realistically representing the interactions of said user tool with said realistic dynamic images for accurately providing said simulated medical procedure. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , said first computer system comprising a first network, and a host computer connected to said first network, wherein software for executing said image generator is executed by one of a plurality of computers connected to said network such that at least part of the software executes on a first one of said plurality of computers and another part of said software executes on a second one of said plurality of computers, wherein each one of said computers includes a sub-dataset of a database for storing a common virtual environment for increasing the efficiency of said network. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein, in one of said computers, a given aspect of the simulation is simulated in parallel with other aspects of the simulation that are simulated on one or more others of said computers while said network and a host computer ensure that all relevant changes in the database are shared among all of the computers, and wherein said computers are managed by the host computer for ensuring real-time or near real-time performance of said system, performed in a cyclic and rapid manner creating a continuous scenario. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , said first computer system further comprising a second network, wherein said plurality of computers and said host computer are also connected to said second network, and wherein said database is connected to said second network, such that non-critical network traffic is allocated to said second network and critical network traffic is allocated to said first network. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said first network is a peer-to-peer network, and wherein said plurality of computers and said host computer listen on said first network for information pertinent to their respective functionality issued by others of said computers and said host computer, and said listening computers utilize any information pertinent to their respective functionality without use of a common server. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said simulation is generated for display by an image generator provided on said first computer system that includes a Real Time Soft Tissue Deformation Engine (RTTDE) using finite element methods for generating said realistic dynamic images and providing said interaction that is realistically projected in the image generator and wherein said RTTDE couples mechanical properties modeling to each of a plurality of image generator image components such that the image generator updates the images according to calculations of the dynamic physical and mechanical performed and behavior of the material by said RTTDE. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said physical characteristics of said organ and surrounding tissue includes physical properties of said organ and surrounding tissue to define dynamic physical and mechanical interactions between two or more materials. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein said physical properties convert the medical images that are static into said realistic dynamic images that interact with said tool image by coupling a model of dynamic attributes of said organ and surrounding tissue based on patient specific imagery. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a force that is applied by the user to the user interface to simulate use of the tool image in the simulation causes a dynamic mechanical reaction on blood vessels and tissues provided in said realistic dynamic images such that said blood vessels and tissues are dynamically reshaped according to mechanical properties of corresponding vessels and tissues of a real patient. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein interactions between said tool image providing a force and said realistic dynamic images of the organ and surrounding tissues are provided such that changes to surrounding organs are accurately reflected in said realistic dynamic images in a manner similar to a corresponding real surgery tool providing a similar force to tissues in an actual patient. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , said first computer system comprising a debrief server for recording a progress of the medical procedure simulation. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein said debrief server provides an undo function to return to an earlier point in the simulation to undo recent procedures, a freeze function that can freeze the simulation and/or change the perspective view of the simulation, and a replay function to replay said simulation. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein said debrief server provides a capability to mark a point in time in said simulation for later return to that point in time to continue the simulation from the marked point in time. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first computer system comprises a software filter for filtering out a particular type of tissue from the display of said realistic images at the request of the user. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said first computer system comprises a software filter for removing a 3 dimensional corridor according to a desired location, orientation and dimension of the corridor at the request of the user. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the image of the real surgical tool is configured to interact with the realistic image of the organ and surrounding tissue having mechanical properties of the tool that support tool open/close status, spring load, and/or spring force that will be applied to the organ or surrounding tissue in the simulation. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said real surgical tool is an implantable medical device. 
     
     
         20 . A platform comprising a plurality of second computer systems of  claim 1  networked together for collaboratively planning and simulating a surgery, said platform supporting users from two or more sites distributed geographically from a site having the first computer system configured for supporting said surgery simulation in a coordinated manner among the sites. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said realistic image is provided showing an appearance including shadowing and textures indicative of an actual organ and surrounding tissue. 
     
     
         22 . A modeling system for enabling a user to perform a simulated medical procedure, said system comprising:
 at least a first and second computer system located remotely from each other communicating over a public communication network, each one of said computer systems including a separate display for displaying images to the user;   a database for storing data of physical characteristics of an organ and surrounding tissue that were transformed by execution of software instructions from actual images of a real organ and surrounding tissues;   a user interface provided on said first computer configured to receive user inputs from a first user for realistically simulating a medical procedure for display on the display of the first computer, said user inputs being utilized to execute software on said first computer configured to display to the user a user tool image representing a real surgical tool dynamically interacting with a realistic image of the organ and surrounding tissue based on said user inputs and said data of physical characteristics of the organ and surrounding tissue retrieved from said database, such that said display displays the realistic image exhibiting color and texture of the real organ and surrounding tissue to provide the simulated medical procedure based on the user inputs;   software configured to execute on said second computer system to display, to a second user, the realistic image of the simulated medical procedure being performed by the first user using the first computer system; and   a debrief server for recording a progress of the simulated medical procedure for allowing the simulated procedure to return to a previous point in time for restart or replay the simulated procedure.   
     
     
         23 . A modeling system for enabling a user to perform a simulated medical procedure, said system comprising:
 at least a first and second computer system located remotely from each other communicating over a public communication network, each one of said computer systems including a separate display for displaying images to the user;   a database for storing data of physical characteristics of an organ and surrounding tissue of a particular patient that were transformed by execution of software instructions from actual images of a real organ and surrounding tissues;   a user interface provided on said first computer configured to receive user inputs from a first user for realistically simulating a medical procedure on the particular patient for display on the display of the first computer, said user inputs being utilized to execute software on said first computer configured to display to the user a user tool image representing a real surgical tool dynamically interacting with a realistic image of the organ and surrounding tissue based on said user inputs and said data of physical characteristics of the organ and surrounding tissue retrieved from said database, such that said display displays the realistic image exhibiting color and texture and shadowing indicative of the actual organ and surrounding tissue of the particular patient to provide the simulated medical procedure based on the user inputs; and   software configured to execute on said second computer system to display, to a second user, the realistic image of the simulated medical procedure being performed by the first user using the first computer system, wherein   said physical characteristics include physical properties of said organ and surrounding tissue to define dynamic physical and mechanical interactions between the image of the organ and the surrounding tissue with the user tool image.