Study On The Virtual Reality System Of Vessel Suture For Microsurgery

With the rapid development of virtual reality, the technology has been widely used step by step. Now the applications of virtual reality in medicine have been a new research hotspot as well as the study on virtual surgery system.According to the actual vessel suture in microsurgery, the paper presents a virtual simulation system of vessel suture aiming at microsurgery, which could be used with the microsurgical robot system (MicroHand) developed in our lab. Thus, it can greatly improve the security and the reliability of MicroHand.Firstly, concerning the vessel suture characteristic of microsurgery, we have researched the virtual reality system thoroughly. The requirement of virtual surgery is not only the real-time vision image with high quality, but also the real force feedback with high distinguishability. Therefore, we adopt PHANToM_Desktop, developed in SensAble with 3D force feedback, as the haptic interface. Considering GHOST SDK of PHANToM, which supplies a platform for building virtual environment, we center to model soft tissues and force feedback respectively.Secondly, we adopt Mass-spring models as a result of study and comparison of several common models for flexible body. This method could simplify models, reducing calculation, and improve computer function. In particular, the mathematic model of soft tissue interacted simulation is built based on the linear elastic hypothesis. Then this method is validated from the vision effect and the calculation by the simulation of flexible plane.Thirdly, based on the above, having seriously study on artery feature, we adopt geometry method to model simulating vessel in virtual environment. Through exactly designing of collision detect and force feedback model, consequently, we realize the real-time update of vision effect about suturing vessel, and the real-time force feedback.Finally, we use this virtual reality system with the controlling system of MicroHand to operate on a rabbit. The animal experiments validates that the assistance of virtual reality can protect the vessel from wrecking by controlling the manipulation of the slave manipulator.