Adopted from the development of virtual reality in computer technologies a central userinterface is introduced into medicine, which can be used on intuition. Through the simulation instruments of virtual reality, the implementation of medical data gains an enormous variety and mimicks real conditions. By virtual reality technologies threedimensional spaces can be explored, generated by the computer and rendering free movement to the user, including his interaction with any integrated virtual object.
To achieve the impression of reality, in simulation each scene has to be calculated in realtime. The BERTA module (Bidirectional Extended Rendering for Telemedical Applications) visualizes interactively medical volume data in real time by precalculating views (up to 50 stereoscopic image pairs per sec.). On an imaginary sphere, enclosing the data cube of the volume data (originated by CT, MRI or other modalities) about 5000 distinct views on the data cube will be selected and the corresponding stereoscopic views can be created offline by various methods to render volume data (Levoy, colored semitransparency, sum, max). The BERTA module was developed in cooperation with Prof. Lemke from the "Fachgebiet Computer Graphics", Technische Universit�t Berlin and Prof. Tolxdorf from the "Medizinische Informatik", Freie Universit�t Berlin.
These techniques are to the disposal not only for computer aided planning of surgical interventions under observation of external image data, but also to assist during surgery. A continous comparison and control of the primary operative strategy and the real situation during a surgical procedure becomes possible. By the means of teleconsultation medical experts may simulate and discuss a suggested procedure via online link. The question of in- and output-devices, mediating between the physician and the computer is still unanswered. The so called medical workbench-projection (in cooperation with Dr. M G�bel, VMSD, GMD, Sankt Augustin) represents a development, which exactly meets the medical perspective of the operating disciplines. The screen is thus positioned horizontally like an operating table in cooperation with BARCO). The user of input-devices shall not be burdened additionally by hardware, e.g. a data glove, and accordingly the use of voice control and recognition of hand gestures are emphasized in the future.
A small video showing the OP 2000 cyberspace
Another video shows the BERTA visualisation module and can be viewed stereoscopic with red/blue glasses.
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