Mixed reality simulator for ultrasound-guided thyroid nodule radiofrequency ablation: development and technical...

Area of Science:

• Medical Simulation
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Medical Education Technology

Background:

• Ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment for benign thyroid nodules, offering an alternative to surgery.
• Current RFA training faces challenges due to a steep learning curve and limited formal training opportunities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a mixed reality simulator for thyroid nodule RFA to address the existing training gap.
• To create a virtual training environment that mimics the complexities of RFA procedures.

Main Methods:

• A real-time, voxel-based heat-transfer model was implemented within a mixed reality simulator.
• The model incorporated temperature, thermal damage, and impedance calculations, calibrated and validated using phantom and ex vivo data.
• The simulator features configurable nodule parameters, realistic ultrasound artifacts, lesion visualization, and quantitative ablation metrics.

Main Results:

• Simulated temperature-time curves closely matched phantom sensor readings (RMSE of 1.4°C).
• Simulated lesion volumes showed high accuracy, within -7.3% to +0.9% of ex vivo references.
• Expert clinician feedback indicated favorable ratings for visual realism, feedback fidelity, and training utility.

Conclusions:

• The developed mixed reality simulator accurately reproduces thermal profiles and lesion characteristics of RFA.
• The simulator's architecture is adaptable for other organs and thermal ablation techniques.
• Further educational studies are recommended to assess the simulator's effectiveness in training clinicians.