Arthroscopic surgery is one of the most commonly performed operations in the US. As in all surgical specialties, the bulk of the surgeon?s arthroscopic skills are acquired while working on live patients. Today?s climate of contained healthcare costs, patient rights, and associated litigation has created a strong demand to find alternatives to using patients for practicing medical procedures. A simulator reproducing the look and feel of real joint anatomy could be used to impart a significant portion of these skills with instructor-controlled curriculum, unprecedented procedure feedback, and no patient risk. Touch of Life Technologies is developing Virtual Anatomy (VA), based on color photographs of high-resolution cryosectioned human specimens. VA models have significantly higher-resolution than is currently available using any other existing technology. Yet, because they are polygonally based, they may be displayed both haptically and graphically in real-time using inexpensive and widely available graphics hardware. This SBIR will demonstrate the efficacy of high-resolution VA and apply it to produce a realistic arthroscopy simulator.

Proposed Commercial Applications

The simulator will be marketed to train and test orthopedic residents and fellows, upgrade the skills of practicing surgeons, and provide an objective foundation for certification and credentialing. It will also provide a platform for orthopedic tool and device makers to introduce and to train doctors on their new developments.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Small Business Innovation Research Grants (SBIR) - Phase II (R44)
Project #
5R44AR046935-03
Application #
6660302
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-SSS-5 (15))
Program Officer
Panagis, James S
Project Start
2000-05-08
Project End
2005-04-30
Budget Start
2003-09-01
Budget End
2005-04-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$347,560
Indirect Cost
Name
Touch of Life Technologies, Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
118729057
City
Aurora
State
CO
Country
United States
Zip Code
80045