Patent · US Expired

Surgical simulator and method for simulating surgical procedure

US5766016A · kind A · utility

369Cited by
10References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 14, 1994
Grant dateJun 16, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 14, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N19/597
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A surgical simulator provides both visual and tactile feedback in order to realistically portray an actual surgical procedure. The visual feedback is provided through an SGI graphics computer which drives a monitor to display two images of an eye at slightly different perspectives. A set of optics, which preferably mimics an actual surgical microscope, combines the two images to form a stereo image of the eye. An instrument for simulating a surgical tool is connected through three sets of levers and hinges to three servo-motors which collectively generate a resistive force along any direction. The forces provided to the instrument are modeled after forces measured during an actual procedure and therefore accurately simulate the feel of a surgical procedure. The position and orientation of the instrument is transmitted to the SGI graphics computer which manipulates the eye based upon the position and motion of the instrument and updates the image of the eye to display a manipulated eye. The position of the instrument is also relayed to a second processing unit which provides the tactile feedback based upon the state of the instrument.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.