Virtual Reality Neurosurgical Simulation using Computer Graphics

Abstract

  Medical imaging technology has exhibited rapid progress. Various sequences/modalities exist with respect to computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cerebral angiography and nuclear medicine examinations. In addition, the development of brain functional imaging, including diffusion tensor tractography, functional MRI and computational fluid dynamics studies, is remarkable. Although these different modalities can be fused to perform three-dimensional (3D) visualization, image processing methods continue to have many issues that need be solved.
  In this report, the fundamental knowledge, principles, construction methods, usefulness, problems and future trends of imaging are reviewed based on the experience of 450 examples of neurosurgical simulation using 3D fusion images in our facility.