Development of a microscope embedded training system for neurosurgery

Virtual reality based training systems for surgery, have recently shown great potential as an alternative to traditional training methods. In neurosurgery, state of art training devices is limited to a few examples. They are based either on traditional displays or head-mounted displays. The aim of this research is the development of the first virtual reality training system for neurosurgical interventions based on a real surgical microscope for a better visual and ergonomic realism. The simulation takes advantage of an accurate tissue modeling, a force feedback device and a rendering of the virtual scene directly to the oculars of the operating microscope. A prototype of a stereoscopic Augmented Reality microscope for intra-operative presentation of preoperative three-dimensional data has been realized in our laboratory. We are reusing the image injection component of this existing platform developing a training system for educational and preoperative purposes based on virtual organs reconstructed from real patients' images.