Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
World Neurosurg. 2011 Nov;76(5):419-30. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2011.07.008.
To review virtual reality in neurosurgery, including the history of simulation and virtual reality and some of the current implementations; to examine some of the technical challenges involved; and to propose a potential paradigm for the development of virtual reality in neurosurgery going forward.
A search was made on PubMed using key words surgical simulation, virtual reality, haptics, collision detection, and volumetric modeling to assess the current status of virtual reality in neurosurgery. Based on previous results, investigators extrapolated the possible integration of existing efforts and potential future directions.
Simulation has a rich history in surgical training, and there are numerous currently existing applications and systems that involve virtual reality. All existing applications are limited to specific task-oriented functions and typically sacrifice visual realism for real-time interactivity or vice versa, owing to numerous technical challenges in rendering a virtual space in real time, including graphic and tissue modeling, collision detection, and direction of the haptic interface.
With ongoing technical advancements in computer hardware and graphic and physical rendering, incremental or modular development of a fully immersive, multipurpose virtual reality neurosurgical simulator is feasible. The use of virtual reality in neurosurgery is predicted to change the nature of neurosurgical education, and to play an increased role in surgical rehearsal and the continuing education and credentialing of surgical practitioners.
回顾神经外科中的虚拟现实技术，包括模拟和虚拟现实的历史以及当前的一些实现方式；研究其中涉及的一些技术挑战；并提出未来神经外科虚拟现实发展的潜在模式。
使用关键词“手术模拟”、“虚拟现实”、“触觉”、“碰撞检测”和“体绘制”在 PubMed 上进行搜索，以评估神经外科中虚拟现实的当前状况。根据以往的结果，研究人员推断出现有研究成果的可能整合和潜在的未来方向。
模拟在手术培训方面有着悠久的历史，目前存在许多涉及虚拟现实的应用和系统。所有现有的应用都仅限于特定任务导向的功能，并且由于在实时渲染虚拟空间方面存在许多技术挑战，包括图形和组织建模、碰撞检测以及触觉界面的方向，通常牺牲视觉真实感以实现实时交互性或反之亦然。
随着计算机硬件和图形物理渲染技术的不断进步，完全沉浸式、多功能虚拟现实神经外科模拟器的增量或模块化开发是可行的。虚拟现实在神经外科中的应用预计将改变神经外科教育的性质，并在手术排练以及外科医生的继续教育和认证方面发挥更大的作用。
