Neurosurgeons get avatars of brain surgery training

Mondo Health Updated on 2024-03-03

Brain surgery is a delicate procedure, and doctors usually need all the help they can get. Luckily, help may be 3,000 miles away, but still in the same operating room. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) partnered with AR VR startup EDUCSIM to create an avatar for renowned neurosurgeon Benjamin Warf.

Benjamin Warf is a pediatric neurosurgeon in the United States. WARF was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2012 to revolutionize intracranial disease in young children, with a focus on hydrocephalus, a disease characterized by cerebral fluid.

The collaboration aims to create an avatar of a neurosurgeon located in a nano-immersion lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The goal is to transform medical training, which is not limited by geographical boundaries, and to revolutionize surgical education.

A scenario that explains this. Dr. Warf's avatar is more than 3,000 miles away and is adjacent to Matheus Vasconcelos, a neurosurgery resident in São Paulo, Brazil. Through the magic of virtual reality goggles, Vasconcelos has a digital twin of Warf performing detailed brain surgery on a doll-like model.

Wolf describes it as an "almost out-of-body experience", akin to having identical twins. This virtual interaction allows the renowned surgeon to function in two places at once. As a result, he has provided invaluable training to medical professionals across the globe.

This is the first time I have used this model for training, and it has great performance," said Vasconcelos, a neurosurgery resident at the Faculty of Medicine of São Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. "As a resident, I now feel more confident and comfortable with real patients applying this technology under the guidance of my professors. ”

The project was initiated by Giselle Coelho, Scientific Director and Pediatric Neurosurgeon at EDUCSIM. Frustrated by the lack of practical training options, Coelho tries to create a solution. educsim with mitnano's Deep Tech Accelerator Program startsNano collaborated to make use of MIT's state-of-the-art immersive lab to create Warf's avatar.

To capture the nuances of the surgeon's skills, the team employs high-fidelity motion capture technology, volumetric** capture, and a range of VR AR technologies. WARF accesses mit. multiple timesnano。

In addition, the Warf wears special gloves and clothing embedded in the sensor. He even operated on a mock-up of a solid baby. All of this results in a lifelike avatar capable of demonstrating surgical techniques with incredible precision.

Avatars run in synchronous and asynchronous modes. The avatar responds with answers generated by AI algorithms, drawn from extensive research and a library of questions and answers provided by Warf himself.

As MIT News reported, the potential impact of this virtual training is enormous. Dr. Warf envisions avatars as a powerful tool, especially for remote and underserved areas. It may never replace hands-on instruction, but Project Avatar offers a new cost-effective, time-saving alternative to growth and knowledge. **10,000 Fans Incentive Plan

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