title: A physics-based algorithm for real-time simulation of electrosurgery procedures in minimally invasive surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-frequency electricity is used in the majority of surgical interventions. However, modern computer-based training and simulation systems rely on physically unrealistic models that fail to capture the interplay of the electrical, mechanical and thermal properties of biological tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a real-time and physically realistic simulation of electrosurgery by modelling the electrical, thermal and mechanical properties as three iteratively solved finite element models. To provide subfinite-element graphical rendering of vaporized tissue, a dual-mesh dynamic triangulation algorithm based on isotherms is proposed. The block compressed row storage (BCRS) structure is shown to be critical in allowing computationally efficient changes in the tissue topology due to vaporization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have demonstrated our physics-based electrosurgery cutting algorithm through various examples. Our matrix manipulation algorithms designed for topology changes have shown low computational cost.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our simulator offers substantially greater physical fidelity compared to previous simulators that use simple geometry-based heat characterization.
authors.affiliation: Intelligent Manufacture and Control Institution, Wuhan University of Technology, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhonghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Venkata S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Arikatla
authors.forename: Zhongqing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Brian F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Suvranu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004598:Electrosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010825:Physics
keywords: cutting simulation; electrosurgery; minimally invasive surgery; physics-based simulation; surgical simulation; virtual reality