An interface for precise and comfortable 3D work with volumetric medical datasets.

We have developed a 3D/2D paradigm of interaction that combines manipulation of precise 3D volumetric data with unambiguous widget interaction. Precise 3D interaction is ensured by a combination of resting the lower arms on an armrest and pivoting the hands around the wrist. Unambiguous 2D interaction is achieved by providing passive haptic feedback by means of a virtual control panel whose position coincides with the physical surfaces encasing the system. We have tested this interface with a neurosurgical planning application that has been clinically used for 17 skull-base cases at two local hospitals.

The Brain Bench: virtual tools for stereotactic frame neurosurgery.

We present a suite of neurosurgery supporting tools developed around (i) the Virtual Workbench, a productive environment for the control of 3-D data, in which delicate work can be performed for hours on end without strain, and (ii) the Electronic Brain Atlas, integrating the major print brain atlases in day-to-day clinical use. We describe in detail the Brain Bench, a surgical planning system for stereotactic frame neurosurgery. Its objective is to prepare faster plans; have a better and more accurate choice of target points; improve the avoidance of sensitive structures; have fewer sub-optimal frame attachments and speedier, more effective planning and training. If validated by a clinical study now under way, this will improve medical efficacy and reduce costs.