Virtual reality in surgical practice in vitro and in vivo evaluations

This paper describes a method for the acquisition and integrative processing of laparoscopic and endoluminal ultrasound images. We used a stepping motor attached to a stabilizing rig, interfaced to the laparoscope, or the ultrasound probe. 360 degrees laparoscopic scenes were constructed during minimally invasive surgery, and three-dimensional reconstructions were made of related ultrasound data. Integration of 360 degrees panoramas with geometric ultrasound models could be displayed as interactive scenes. This resulted in a better demonstration of the surgical field and topographic anatomy. In conclusion, this type of visualizations may be used in virtual reality simulations for documentation, education and in operative planning.