Virtual percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty system for an educational support system

With the increase of ischemic diseases of the circulatory system in Japan, the necessity for cardiovascular intervention continues to increase. However, because intervention operations have been developed only recently, the education system for the corresponding specialists in our country has not been established yet. In this study, an intervention educational support system using a virtual reality (VR) technique was developed. Of course, intervention includes percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). PTCA is an operation enlarging the stenosis of the coronary artery with a balloon through a guide catheter. The technique that lets the guide wire for the PTCA balloon cross the stenosis is one of the most difficult. A simulation system for the manipulation of a torque device for the PTCA guide wire was developed with this technology for VR. In virtual space, reconstitution of the 3-dimensional coronary artery with atherosclerosis was performed, and the virtual PTCA system was produced experimentally. An interesting system was produced experimentally as a system for the training of doctors studying to become interventional specialists. After the system was combined with an Expert system for treating ischemic heart diseases, its usefulness was steadily increased. With the development of more sophisticated VR methodology in the future, a PTCA training system without using a patient will be embodied.