Intuitive operation planning based on force feedback.

In the craniofacial surgery image-slices obtained from tomographies are used for planning and simulation of surgical interventions. Using these image-slices three-dimensional geometric models can be reconstructed, representing bones and soft tissue. However, for planning complex surgical interventions simulation methods are needed additionally to the pure visualisation. Exemplary, planning a Frontal Orbital Advancement (FOA) operation the cutting trajectories, their depth and orientation in each point, the drill hole, the position, orientation and deformation of bones, etc. are the point of interest. Especially for intraoperative execution supported by navigation systems or robots. In order to be able to plan such complex interventions with the help of computers, geometrical and haptical models must be generated from the image-slices. On the one hand these models represent the anatomical structures exactly, on the other hand they are needed for the simulation of the different activities, which have to be performed during the surgical intervention like drilling, milling, deforming, positioning, etc. Beside the geometrical and haptical models methods for interactions must be supplied to the physician for an accurate and intuitive planning of the surgical intervention. We developed such an operation planning system which is already used in clinical practise in Heidelberg.