A geometric approach to the modeling of the catheter-heart interaction for VR simulation of intra-cardiac intervention

Cardiac intervention is a minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedure used to treat cardiac diseases. The mapping of heart geometry with minimal visual assistance presents a technical challenge for interventional cardiologists attempting catheter navigation. This paper presents a geometric approach to modeling the catheter–heart interaction for VR simulations of catheter navigation within a heart chamber. Three types of modeling are used to model the interaction between the catheter and the heart wall: non-slip, pseudo-slip and slip modeling. A two-step shape memory process that minimizes the bending of and strain on the catheter is designed for catheter deformation for non-slip or pseudo-slip contact, and a progressive group linkage bending process that constrains the catheter curvature and position within the volume enclosure is designed for catheter deformation for slip contact. The proposed model is consistent with the observations made during the experiment. The model is able to deform the catheter in any free-state shape within the volume enclosure and is independent of local motion increment. Thus, it presents advantages in terms of complexity and real-