title: SINERGIA laparoscopic virtual reality simulator: didactic design and technical development.
abstract: VR laparoscopic simulators have demonstrated its validity in recent studies, and research should be directed towards a high training effectiveness and efficacy. In this direction, an insight into simulators' didactic design and technical development is provided, by describing the methodology followed in the building of the SINERGIA simulator. It departs from a clear analysis of training needs driven by a surgical training curriculum. Existing solutions and validation studies are an important reference for the definition of specifications, which are described with a suitable use of simulation technologies. Five new didactic exercises are proposed to train some of the basic laparoscopic skills. Simulator construction has required existing algorithms and the development of a particle-based biomechanical model, called PARSYS, and a collision handling solution based in a multi-point strategy. The resulting VR laparoscopic simulator includes new exercises and enhanced simulation technologies, and is finding a very good acceptance among surgeons.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Bioingeniería y Telemedicina (GBT), ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lamata
authors.forename: Enrique J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.forename: Francisco M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Margallo
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Monserrat
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alberola
authors.forename: Miguel Angel Rodríguez
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Florido
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Usón
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education; D010535:Laparoscopy; D013030:Spain