Validation Study of a Wave Equation Model of Soft Tissue for a New Virtual Reality Laparoscopy Training System

Despite the benefits of laparoscopic procedures for the patients, this technique comes with a number of environmental limitations for the surgeon, which therefore require distinctive psychomotor skills. VR training systems aim to improve these skills. For effective transference of skills from these training systems, it is important to mimic the surgical environment; including the soft tissue models. This study introduces a novel two dimensional wave equation model to mimic the interactions between soft tissue and laparoscopic tools. This model accounts for mechanical and material properties of the soft tissue. This study also proposes a new face validation technique, for an objective analysis of the developed model as a viable soft tissue model. The statistical analyses and computational cost support the use of wave equation as a replacement for present models. In the future, this model will be applied to a novel VR surgical training system for an enhanced training experience.