Collaborated surgical works (surgical planning) in virtual space with tactile sensation between Japan and Germany

Surgeons in Japan and Germany applied tele-virtual surgery and a force feedback device during a hepatectomy simulation. Using this system, surgeons in each country were able to perform various surgical maneuvers upon the same patient. They palpated abdominal skin, made electrical scalpel incisions and widened the incision line by using surgical tools in virtual space. While surgeons performed a virtual operation, the force feedback device conveyed tactile sensations. In each location, the force feedback devices and two graphic workstations of equal capability were employed. As each workstation communicated only event signals through an ISDN (64 Kb) line, it was possible to obtain real time tele-virtual surgery without a large capacity communication infrastructure.