title: Uterus models for use in virtual reality hysteroscopy simulators.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Virtual reality models of human organs are needed in surgery simulators which are developed for educational and training purposes. A simulation can only be useful, however, if the mechanical performance of the system in terms of force-feedback for the user as well as the visual representation is realistic. We therefore aim at developing a mechanical computer model of the organ in question which yields realistic force-deformation behavior under virtual instrument-tissue interactions and which, in particular, runs in real time.
  
  
  METHODS
  The modeling of the human uterus is described as it is to be implemented in a simulator for minimally invasive gynecological procedures. To this end, anatomical information which was obtained from specially designed computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging procedures as well as constitutive tissue properties recorded from mechanical testing were used. In order to achieve real-time performance, the combination of mechanically realistic numerical uterus models of various levels of complexity with a statistical deformation approach is suggested. In view of mechanical accuracy of such models, anatomical characteristics including the fiber architecture along with the mechanical deformation properties are outlined. In addition, an approach to make this numerical representation potentially usable in an interactive simulation is discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The numerical simulation of hydrometra is shown in this communication. The results were validated experimentally. In order to meet the real-time requirements and to accommodate the large biological variability associated with the uterus, a statistical modeling approach is demonstrated to be useful.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Gloriastrasse 35, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland. niederer@biomed.ee.ethz.ch
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Niederer
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Rosmarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caduff
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bajka
authors.forename: Gabor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Szekély
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harders
mesh_terms: D016880:Anisotropy; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006801:Humans; D015907:Hysteroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014599:Uterus