If the images show that surgery is needed, the doctor may then want to practice the procedure on a surgery simulator being developed in an unrelated project led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.
The simulator combines the sense of touch with three-dimensional computer models of organs. This lends an immersive experience of performing an operation without ever cutting into real tissue.
The simulator could allow both unexperienced and veteran surgeons to hone their skills on new or rare procedures.
"The whole point of this simulation is to allow surgeons to practice on materials at absolutely no risk," said Suvranu De, director of the Advanced Computational Research Lab at Rensselaer.
Currently, surgeons-in-training practice their technique on cadavers or pigs. But pig organs are not human organs and neither situation lends itself to simulating complications that can arise during surgery.
De's simulator uses tactile information gathered during surgeries on pigs. De and his team use a device that is able to measure how much force a surgical instrument puts on different kinds of tissue to penetrate and cut.
Another tool is able to measure how the tissue responds to such forces. Video is also compiled during such a procedure to serve as a visual aid.
All this data is fed into a computer model, which is able to produce a visual and haptic experience of specific surgeries.
The team is currently working to simulate surgeries, including gastric bypass or gastric banding, which are typically performed on obese patients.
The idea, said De, is to create simulations for a wide variety of surgeries, giving doctors the chance to hone their motor skills and refine their technique before ever stepping into the operating room.
