Neurosurgeons Practice on Virtual Simulator before Removing Brain Tumor
Virtual simulators reach a medical milestone as warm-up for a real-life operation This simulator goes far beyond the olden days of the board game "Operation." Last month, for the first time, neurosurgeons rehearsed on a 3-D model of a patient's brain just hours before removing a brain tumor for real. The simulator takes advantage of fMRI brain scans to create a high-resolution model of the patient's brain. Neurosurgeons can then flex their skills by manipulating tumors or other virtual objects on screens. They even use an instrument resembling a scalpel that creates force-feedback resembling that of the real tool, and simulates the tissue resistances in different parts of the brain. How's that for a Wii-style device, Nintendo? The crowning moment for the "Neurotouch" simulator came late last month. Surgeons in Halifax, Nova Scotia practiced a brain tumor removal procedure, and then carried out a successful...