Development of laparoscopic cholecystectomy simulator based on unity game engine

Abstract

Fast development of the minimally invasive surgery (MIS) technology demands extra surgical skills training to meet advanced technological challenges. However, massive capital expenditures and ethical issues with safety considerations exist in traditional surgical training methods (e.g. using cadavers or animals). Those limitations turn Virtual Reality (VR) surgery simulation into a plausible alternative to provide a safe and repeatable virtual training environment. In this paper, we design and develop a game engine based laparoscopic cholecystectomy training simulator for surgeons to understand the surgery procedure and practice their surgical skills as well as decision making skills. Our design leverages physical simulation and haptic force feedback to offer trainees a realistic visual and tactile experience, respectively. We explore the possibility of using game engine rather than developing from scratch to build the surgical simulator. Based on the results and user feedbacks from a pilot experiment, we conclude that game engine is a viable option for creating a cost-effective, flexible and highly interactive virtual surgery training platform for pedagogical purpose, which can shorten the development time with some compromise in functionality.