Towards an augmented ultrasound guided spinal needle insertion system.

We propose a haptic-based simulator for ultrasound-guided percutaneous spinal interventions. The system is composed of a haptic device to provide force feedback, a camera system to display video and augmented computed tomography (CT) overlay, a finite element model for tissue deformation and US simulation from a CT volume. The proposed system is able to run a large finite element model at the required haptic rate for smooth force feedback, and uses haptic device position measurements for a steady response. The simulated US images from CT closely resemble the vertebrae images captured in vivo. This is the first report of a system that provides a training environment to couple haptic feedback with a tracked mannequin, and a CT volume overlaid on a visual feed of the mannequin.