0000000000637551
AUTHOR
Peter Y. K. Hwang
Virtual temporal bone: an interactive 3-dimensional learning aid for cranial base surgery.
OBJECTIVE: We have developed an interactive virtual model of the temporal bone for the training and teaching of cranial base surgery. METHODS: The virtual model was based on the tomographic data of the Visible Human Project. The male Visible Human's computed tomographic data were volumetrically reconstructed as virtual bone tissue, and the individual photographic slices provided the basis for segmentation of the middle and inner ear structures, cranial nerves, vessels, and brainstem. These structures were created by using outlining and tube editing tools, allowing structural modeling either directly on the basis of the photographic data or according to information from textbooks and cadaver…
A COLLABORATIVE VIRTUAL REALITY ENVIRONMENT FOR NEUROSURGICAL PLANNING AND TRAINING
OBJECTIVE We have developed a highly interactive virtual environment that enables collaborative examination of stereoscopic three-dimensional (3-D) medical imaging data for planning, discussing, or teaching neurosurgical approaches and strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS The system consists of an interactive console with which the user manipulates 3-D data using hand-held and tracked devices within a 3-D virtual workspace and a stereoscopic projection system. The projection system displays the 3-D data on a large screen while the user is working with it. This setup allows users to interact intuitively with complex 3-D data while sharing this information with a larger audience. RESULTS We have…