Novel virtual nasal endoscopy system based on computed tomography scans

Background

Currently, many simulator systems for medical procedures are under development. These systems can provide new solutions for training, planning, and testing medical practices, improve performance, and optimize the time of the exams. However, to achieve the best results, certain premises must be followed and applied to the model under development, such as usability, control, graphics realism, and interactive and dynamic gamification.

Methods

This study presents a system for simulating a medical examination procedure in the nasal cavity for training and research purposes, using a patient′s accurate computed tomography (CT) as a reference. The pathologies that are used as a guide for the development of the system are highlighted. Furthermore, an overview of current studies covering bench medical mannequins, 3D printing, animals, hardware, software, and software that use hardware to boost user interaction, is given. Finally, a comparison with similar state-of-the-art studies is made.

Results

The main result of this work is interactive gamification techniques to propose an experience of simulation of an immersive exam by identifying pathologies present in the nasal cavity such as hypertrophy of turbinates, septal deviation adenoid hypertrophy, nasal polyposis, and tumor.