Geometric Mapping Evaluation for Real-Time Local Sensor Simulation.

Medical augmented reality and simulated test environments struggle in accurately simulating local sensor measurements across large spatial domains while maintaining the proper resolution of information required and real time capability. Here, a simple method for real-time simulation of intraoperative sensors is presented to aid with medical sensor development and professional training. During a surgical intervention, the interaction between medical sensor systems and tissue leads to mechanical deformation of the tissue. Through the inclusion of detailed finite element simulations in a real-time augmented reality system the method presented will allow for more accurate simulation of intraoperative sensor measurements that are independent of the mechanical state of the tissue. This concept uses a coarse, macro-level deformation mesh to maintain both computational speed and the illusion of reality and a simple geometric point mapping method to include detailed fine mesh information. The resulting system allows for flexible simulation of different types of localized sensor measurement techniques. Preliminary simulation results are provided using a real-time capable simulation environment and prove the feasibility of the method.