• M Vloeberghs, A Glover, S Benford, A Jones, P Wang, and Adib Becker.
• Department of Computer Science, Nottinghm University Hospital, Nottingham, UK. michael.vloeberghs@nottingham.ac.uk
• Br J Neurosurg. 2007 Jun 1; 21 (3): 262-7.

AbstractVirtual reality (VR) simulators have been created for various surgical specialties. The common theme is extensive use of graphics, confined spaces, limited functionality and limited tactile feedback. A development team at the University of Nottingham, UK, consisting of computer scientists, mechanical engineers, graphic designers and a neurosurgeon, set out to develop a haptic, e.g. tactile simulator for neurosurgery making use of boundary elements (BE). The relative homogeneity of the brain, allows boundary elements, e.g. 'surface only' rendering, to simulate the brain structure. A boundary element simplifies the computing equations saves computing time, by assuming the properties of the surface equal the properties of the body. A limited audit was done by neurosurgical users confirming the potential of the simulator as a training tool. This paper focuses on the application of the computational method and refers to the underlying mathematical structure. Full references are included regarding the mathematical methodology.

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