Overview

The Hermes Project (HEmatology Research virtual MEdical System) had the object of building an integrate system in order to simulate a coronary angioplasty intervention. This system consists of a virtual environment and a haptic interface; in this way both the visual feedback and the force feedback are provided during the interactions of the surgical instruments in the virtual environment.

During the simulation, the user interacts using the haptic interface that likely reproduces the real surgical instruments manipulated by the cardiologist.

Position data acquired by the haptic device sensors are used to update the virtual environment and to determine possible collisions between the virtual catheter and the virtual artery walls. The collisions are replicated on the surgeon’s hand by the haptic interface.