Patient-Specific IVR Surgical Simulator for Endovascular Intervention

In this paper, we propose a method to reproduce fluoroscopic image which is utilized during endovascular surgery process, without using x-raying by introducing augmented reality technique, for constructing an endovascular simulator comprised of an in vitro patient- specific blood vessel model. To reproduce the fluoroscopic image, proposed method firstly matches the refraction index of the blood vessel model to that of circumferential material (glycerin solution) to make the vascular model invisible and generate a condition similar to x-ray image, then add background image and other information by using AR. This method allows reproducing several medical imaging techniques, such as DSA (digital subtraction angiography) technique and vascular road mapping techniques, which are utilized during endovascular surgery for easy image recognition. Consequently it allows reproducing comprehensive surgical process, which is not limited to just operating medical tools inside blood vessel. Here the blood vessel model reproduces patient-specific vascular structure at 13 mm resolution, and it also reproduces physical properties of arterial tissue, and thus it allows reproducing surgical feeling and the behavior of operated surgical tools. Consequently presented method should be helpful for doctors for making surgical training without animal testing.