Interactive simulation of biological tissue

A machine-readable medium encoded with machine-executable instructions which, when executed, cause a computer system to simulate interaction between a surgical tool and biological tissue according to a method comprising:

• receiving tool input device information representative of movement of a physical representation of a portion of a simulated surgical tool;
• simulating, based on the tool input device information, an interaction between the simulated surgical tool and a simulated biological tissue, the simulating comprising using a plurality of simultaneously running computational threads for calculating the mechanics of the simulated biological tissue, at least some of the threads providing their calculations to one or more associated threads for use in such associated threads' calculations;
• and
• displaying on a display a visual representation of the simulated interaction between the simulated surgical tool and the simulated biological tissue, the visual representation being based on the calculations of the plurality of threads.

A biological tissue simulator comprising:

• a physical representation of a portion of a simulated surgical tool;
• a tool input device constructed and arranged to measure movement of the physical representation;
• a display;
• and
• a computer program operatively connected to the tool input device and the display,
• wherein the computer program is programmed to simulate an interaction between the represented surgical tool and a simulated biological tissue, the computer program comprising a plurality of computational threads for calculating the mechanics of the simulated biological tissue, the plurality of computational threads being programmed to run simultaneously, at least some of the threads being programmed to provide their calculations to associated threads for use in such associated threads' calculations,
• wherein the computer program is programmed to receive from the tool input device information relating to the measured movement and provide the tool input device information to one or more of the threads, and
• wherein the computer program is programmed to provide to the display for displaying on the display a visual representation of the simulated interaction between the simulated surgical tool and the simulated biological tissue, the visual representation being based on the calculations of one or more of the threads.