A minimal invasive surgery simulator employing a novel hybrid cutting method

In this paper, we propose full-fledged minimal invasive surgery simulator under laparoscopic environment. In addition, a novel hybrid cutting technique for volumetric tetrahedral meshed soft tissue models is presented. A progressive cutting method is applied to the model´s surface elements, where the core of the model is cut non-progressively. Our work combines the advantages of both subdivision methods into one technique. It leads to an increase in the stability of the soft tissue deformation simulation and enhances interactivity, by reducing the cutting complexity. A laparoscopic resection of the kidney tumor surgery is used for case study.