Neurosurgical virtual reality simulation metrics to assess psychomotor skills during brain tumor resection.

Purpose: Virtual reality simulator technology together with novel metrics could advance our understanding of expert neurosurgical performance and modify and improve resident training and assessment. This pilot study introduces innovative metrics that can be measured by the state-of-the-art simulator to assess performance. Such metrics cannot be measured in an operating room and have not been used previously to assess performance.

The development of a virtual simulator for training neurosurgeons to perform and perfect endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery.

Background: A virtual reality (VR) neurosurgical simulator with haptic feedback may provide the best model for training and perfecting surgical techniques for transsphenoidal approaches to the sella turcica and cranial base. Currently there are 2 commercially available simulators: NeuroTouch (Cranio and Endo) developed by the National Research Council of Canada in collaboration with surgeons at teaching hospitals in Canada, and the Immersive Touch. Work in progress on other simulators at additional institutions is currently unpublished.

Assessing performance in brain tumor resection using a novel virtual reality simulator.

Purpose: NeuroTouch is a virtual reality (VR) simulator developed for neurosurgical skill training. Validation demonstrating that the system is useful and reliable is required for formal adoption into training curriculums. Face and content validity have been demonstrated for some neurosurgical simulators, but construct validity remains difficult to establish.

Virtual reality simulator: demonstrated use in neurosurgical oncology.

Background: The overriding importance of patient safety, the complexity of surgical techniques, and the challenges associated with teaching surgical trainees in the operating room are all factors driving the need for innovative surgical simulation technologies.

Technical Development: Despite these issues, widespread use of virtual reality simulation technology in surgery has not been fully implemented, largely because of the technical complexities in developing clinically relevant and useful models. This article describes the successful use of the NeuroTouch neurosurgical simulator in the resection of a left frontal meningioma.

NeuroTouch: a physics-based virtual simulator for cranial microneurosurgery training.

Background: A virtual reality neurosurgery simulator with haptic feedback may help in the training and assessment of technical skills requiring the use of tactile and visual cues.

Objective: To develop a simulator for craniotomy-based procedures with haptic and graphics feedback for implementation by universities and hospitals in the neurosurgery training curriculum.

Methods: NeuroTouch was developed by a team of more than 50 experts from the National Research Council Canada in collaboration with surgeons from more than 20 teaching hospitals across Canada.

Real-time control of angioplasty balloon inflation based on feedback from intravascular optical coherence tomography: preliminary study on an artery phantom.

A method is proposed to achieve computerized control of angioplasty balloon inflation, based on feedback from intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT). Controlled balloon inflation could benefit clinical applications, cardiovascular research, and medical device industry. The proposed method was experimentally tested for balloon inflation within an artery phantom.

Long-term in vitro human pancreatic islet culture using three-dimensional microfabricated scaffolds.

Human pancreatic islet in vitro culture is very challenging and requires the presence of various extra cellular matrix (ECM) components in a three-dimensional environment, which provides mechanical and biological support. The development of such an environment is vital in providing favourable conditions to preserve human islets in long-term culture. In this study, we investigated the effects of human islet culture within various three-dimensional environments; collagen I gel, collagen I gel supplemented with ECM components fibronectin and collagen IV, and microfabricated scaffold with ECM-supplemented gel.

Design and dynamic culture of 3D-scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering.

Engineered scaffolds for tissue-engineering should be designed to match the stiffness and strength of healthy tissues while maintaining an interconnected pore network and a reasonable porosity. In this work, we have used 3D-plotting technique to produce poly-L-Lactide macroporous scaffolds with two different pore sizes. The ability of these macroporous scaffolds to support chondrocyte attachment and viability were compared under static and dynamic loading in vitro.

Design and fabrication of 3D porous scaffolds to facilitate cell-based gene therapy.

Biomaterials capable of efficient gene delivery by embedded cells provide a fundamental tool for the treatment of acquired or hereditary diseases. A major obstacle is maintaining adequate nutrient and oxygen diffusion to cells within the biomaterial. In this study, we combined the solid free-form fabrication and porogen leaching techniques to fabricate three-dimensional scaffolds, with bimodal pore size distribution, for cell-based gene delivery.

Bioengineering strategies to generate vascularized soft tissue grafts with sustained shape.

Tissue engineering offers the possibility for soft tissue reconstruction and augmentation without autologous grafting or conventional synthetic materials. Two critical challenges have been addressed in a number of recent studies: a biology challenge of angiogenesis and an engineering challenge of shape maintenance. These two challenges are inter-related and are effectively addressed by integrated bioengineering strategies.

In-vivo validation of a stent implantation numerical model.

A large deformation finite element model for the patient-specific prediction of stent implantation is presented as a potential tool to assist clinicians. The intervention simulation includes the complete stent deployment under balloon inflation and deflation in the artery. This paper describes the proposed model and presents an in-vivo validation of the model using pre- and post-intervention data from a patient who underwent stent implantation.

Computer prediction of balloon angioplasty from artery imaging.

The success of angioplasty depends on a balance between two conflicting objectives: maximization of artery lumen patency and minimization of mechanical damage. A finite element model for the patient-specific prediction of angioplasty is proposed as a potential tool to assist clinicians. This paper describes the general methodology and the algorithm that computes device/artery friction work during balloon insertion and deployment.