The Growth of Image-Guided Surgery Techniques

Virtual reality systems are used for simulating different real life situations on the computer which looks approximately same as the real world. In these tools, user need to wear some special cloths which has sensors attached, these sensors observe and record all the activities and responses of the user. These tools are very useful in training of many technologies like in pilot training of Boeing dreamliner, or some new technology etc.

There are many reasons to become a surgical technologist, and numerous information reasons why I want to take this course. Taking this class made me see a whole other side of the profession then when I was doing my research. I have learned so much about the changes in medicine and about surgical technology itself that it’s hard for me to put in all in one paper. Through the course of this paper I will go over my own reasons to take the course, things that I personally learned over the last eight weeks, what my plans for the future are, and the different qualities that are needed in the field.

Technological advancements contribute to the medical field more than storing information, however. Breakthroughs in technology allow surgeons improved methods in operations all over the world. Neurosurgeons at UC San Diego Health system found a way to revolutionize brain tumor operation. The team of scientists integrated 3D imagery, computer simulation and upgraded surgical tools to perform a very complex surgery through a miniscule incision (Carr). In comparison to making a large incision and removing an even larger section of the skull, the new procedure reduced the operation site, “[decreasing] the risk of the surgery and

In January 2016, Dr. Peter Weinstock who is an Intensive Care Unit physician and Director of the Pediatric Simulator Program at the Boston Children's Hospital / Harvard Medical School delivered a speech at the TED conference. The topic of his speech was “Lifelike simulations that make real-life surgery safer”, in which he presented how important in difficult surgeries can be the use of current computer special effects and 3D prints. In his speech, he in an amazing way underlines how important it is to use realistic simulations before precise surgeries, especially for children. Using examples, slides and other help he shows the audience the wonders of technology to help analyze the case in every respect, but also to minimize the risk of failure of the operation. From the first minutes, the audience is attracted by their appearance, attitude, and tone of voice, which attests to his professionalism and knowledge of the subject. Through appropriate modulation of voice, he manages to keep the audience's attention to the end.

The use of simulation as a tool for developing and assessing surgical competencies in different fields of medicine has extensively been studied. By incorporating the use of virtual reality simulation (VRS), cataract surgery training has moved from the traditional Halstedian method1 to a more holistic method that facilitates the process of learning.2 The significant effects of using a VRS method in the improvement of different microsurgical skills, especially in ophthalmology, have been widely reported in the literature.3-7

As today’s technology is changing, some of the most major effects of it are superior advances in the medical field. One advance in the medical field is tissue engineering. It is being developed for use in regenerative medicine and soon to be in wider use for other treatments. Tissue engineering’s goal for the future is for the medicine to be able to stimulate other cells around the damage area of the body to get them to grow and produce living tissue (Sciencedaily). Another medical advancement is the monitoring systems and how hospitals can better track for problems and signs of an emergency. This can also help the surgeons decide how to stitch up a patient for best recovery time (Sciencedaily). As technology keeps progressing, another medical advancement is the way surgeons are doing operations. Today, for complex surgeries, surgeons now will get help from the use of a robot for accurate procedures; this will help with the size of the incision and keep the recovery time shorter than during standard surgery.

The 21st century can rightfully be considered as the era of technology when the new inventions and discoveries will most likely affect all the segments of human life. At this point, some of the breakthrough inventions of our times have been in the medical field. Robotic surgery has become an almost common practice in the advanced medical world and new uses for robotic assisted surgery are everyday set in place. However, such developments also attract different interests and implications.

From the first step into the classroom as a medical student to the first operation as an attending, a surgeon has pledged at least nine years of his or her life to the pursuit of the science and art of surgery. How these years are spent has a tremendous impact on the lives of every patient the surgeon will come across. Just as modern surgery bears little resemblance to the days of the barber-surgeons, modern surgical education has evolved with the times to integrate technology with the wisdoms of our ancestors. Today, in addition to the operating theatre and the classroom, the simulation laboratory has become an important setting for surgical skills acquisition(1). While medical students and even residents can still be found practicing their sutures on banana peels and pig skin, modern technology has produced high

IGS were first developed for the application in neurosurgical procedures to determine precise anatomical locations, which was deemed to be primordial. The 1970’s saw the trial of computed tomography (CT) – assisted location systems for focal destruction in stereotactic brain surgery. (3-5) These early devices impeded efficient sinus surgery with the need for reference frames fixated to the cranium and positioning of fiducial markers. During the 1980’s, multiple systems were constructed to bypass the need for reference frames, localising instead by acoustic or ultrasound triangulation or even articulated arms. During this timeframe, referencing was always in accordance to fiducial markers.(6) Innovative systems dedicated to endonasal surgery progressed in the 1990s through the use of infrared diodes and opaque radio-markers.(7-9) In 1994, the Americans were the first to describe computer-assisted endoscopic sinus surgery, using a frameless stereotactic system with attached articulated arms of an ISG viewing wand.(10) The technology pertaining to intraoperative IGS in endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery continues to develop.

This imaging system allows the surgeon to see an enhanced 3-dimensional view of the operative field and it provides direct eye-hand-instrument alignment and natural depth perception. This is possible through the use of a dual lens endoscope with two high-resolution cameras.

The interest to detect and track the endovascular devices during X-ray guided interventional procedures spans over a decade. The recent developments in real-time detection, tracking, visualization over an augmented reality with multi modality fusion has transformed the surgical environment. However, it’s quite challenging to combine robustness of automatic real-time tracking and augmented 3D visualization. In addition, various endovascular procedures use different devices and tracking requirements (tip or whole catheter).

Technology is transforming the medical field with the design of robotic devices and multifaceted imaging. Even though these developments have made operations much less invasive, robotic systems have their own disadvantages that prevent them from replacing surgeons all together. Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is a broad notion encompassing a lot of common procedures that existed prior to the introduction of robots. It refers to general procedures that keep away from long cuts by entering the body through small, usually about 1cm, entry incisions, through which surgeons use long-handled instruments to operate on tissue inside the body. Such operations are directed by viewing equipment and, therefore, do not automatically need the use of a robot. Yet, it is not incorrect to say that computer-assisted and robotic surgeries are categories that fall under minimally invasive surgery (Robotic Surgery, n.d.).

The medical field has revolutionized the health and well being of society. Throughout the decades, the medical field has been through sweeping changes that leave society astonished. It seems like each year that passes by, there is a new technological advancement that modernizes the medical field. Not only do these advancements modernize medicine, but they in return aid doctors, nurses, and specialists by improving their effectiveness within the field. About ten years ago, the da Vinci Surgical System was introduced to hospitals and the medical field, in general because the FDA had finally approved the system within the United States (Dunkin). The da Vinci Surgical System, also known basically as robotic surgery, introduced the use of a

Furthermore, according to Shaojing Fan, Yongping Zhang, Jianbo Fan, Zhongkun He and Yu Chen (2010), virtual reality is an emerging technology with a variety of potential benefits for many aspects of education, medical treatment, and scientific research. One of advantages of Virtual Reality is people can immerse themselves in an environment that would generally be unavailable due to cost, safety or perception restriction. Research by Abulrub, Attridge and Williams (2011) suggested that a new generation of engineering students is entering higher education level with their own worth computing knowledge and skills. They also have high expectations that their institutes will introduce them to suitable technologies for their successful transformation into industry. Technological requirements encounter academic institutions to adopt appropriate and suitable strategies in order to meet all of educational demand. Hence, virtual reality is one of the best solutions as its solution and advancement in immersive and interactive technologies can give visible and noticeable effects on different style and learning. Moreover, virtual reality known as technology that is attractive to students.

Seeing is believing, these words are the best combination to understand the meaning of Virtual Reality (VR). VR is one of the best asset and aspect of our future. No other technology has seen such a revolution like VR has. It is practically in use in almost every field such as entertainment, gaming, defense, robotics, medical, healthcare, military, education, fashion, heritage, business, engineering and many more fields. VR sometimes called Virtual Environment has drawn much attention in the last two decade. Extensive media coverage causes the much more rapid increase in the interest of the masses. Very few people, however, really know what VR is and what are its open problems are. In this report a historical overview of virtual reality is presented, basic terminology as an introduction are listed, followed by applications of this technology in science, work, and entertainment areas. Its present developments are thoroughly discussed in this report. Finally, the future of VR is considered in two aspects: technological and social. New research directions, technological frontiers and potential applications are pointed out. The possible positive and negative influence of VR on life of average people is speculated.