Simulation of surgery and medical procedures requires developing models of human organs and tissues, medical devices, and interactions among them. Geometric and physical characteristics of real objects are built into virtual models which form foundation of accurate and fast computation of real-time and interactive simulations. We have been developing methods and techniques for modeling various medical simulations.

Fig. 1 Object models with different Young’s moduli

Fig. 2 Catheter models with an energy-conserving integration method [2017-, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy]

Fig. 3 Simulation of cutting soft tissues [2015-2017, National Research Foundation of Korea]

DOI: 10.1002/rcs.1429

DOI: 10.1002/rcs.1414

DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2010.09.016

DOI: 10.1002/cav.1485

 Real-time visual rendering of high-fidelity interactive medical simulation requires heavy computational load. We have been developing various methods for fast and accurate computation.

Fig. 1 Fluoroscopy rendering for angiography simulation [2015-2019, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy]

 Haptic interface provides the user’s hands with simulated sensation of high-fidelity real-time interaction. We have been developing various haptic devices and advanced control methods for a variety of medical simulations.

Fig. 1 Endoscopy simulations and haptic interfaces

Fig. 4 Method for real-time computation of haptic rendering [2015-2018, National Research Foundation of Korea]

  Master-slave control systems allow operators to manipulate a slave robot located at a remote site. Haptic sensation resulting from interaction force and torque between the slave robot and the environment can be transmitted and rendered to the operator’s hands. We have been developing haptic masters and control methods for various medical robots and devices. The control methods can also be used for haptic simulation by replacing the real environment with a virtual environment.

Fig. 1 Model-mediated teleoperation in the presence of time delay

Fig. 3 Haptic master for an active-steering catheter robot [2017-, Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy]

  A guidewire is a medical instrument used to guide a catheter to a target lesion through blood vessels. The guidewires are frequently inserted into and pulled out from the patient’s vessels repeatedly during intervention procedures because the tip of the guidewire needs to be shaped manually at many different branches in the vessels before the guidewire finally reaches the target lesion. We have been developing a guidewire which has a capacity to steer its tip area actively. (Fig. 1). It can safely access small diameter vessels. The guidewire is tested in a blood circulatory system which emulates human blood pressure and velocity in a similar vessel geometry (Fig. 2). We also have been developing an extrusion process system which manufactures a body part of the active-steering guidewire (Fig. 3).

Fig. 1 Active-steering guidewire.

Fig. 2 Blood circulatory system.

Fig. 3 Extrusion process system.