Method and system for simulating medical procedures including virtual reality and control method and system for use therein

A system for providing a virtual reality in response to a position and orientation of a member representative of a medical instrument, the system comprising:

• a first medical instrument including a plurality of sensors outputting electrical signals representative of the a position and orientation of the instrument, and the pressure experienced by the instrument, during use in an actual medical procedure;
• a digitizer for converting the electrical signals received from the first instrument into a plurality of position, orientation, and pressure data sets;
• a recorder for storing the data sets;
• a member including a tactile/force reflecting mechanism responsive to the position and orientation of the member;
• a programmed controller interfaced to the tactile/force reflecting mechanism for providing force feedback to the member;
• and
• a virtual reality control computer in operative communication with the recorder and programmed controller, the computer being operative to map the position and orientation of the member into the stored data sets and determine any interactions therebetween, thereby enabling a user to experience the position and orientation of the instrument, and the pressure experienced by the instrument, through force feedback provided to the member.

A method of providing a virtual reality in response to a position and orientation of a member representative of a medical instrument, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing a geometrical model of an organ, including the size, position, and one or more surface characteristics associated therewith,
• providing a member representative of a medical instrument;
• generating an electrical signal for each of a plurality of degrees of freedom of the member as a function of the position and orientation of the member in three-dimensional space;
• generating at least one virtual reality force field in response to the generated electric signals as a function of the size, position, and surface characteristics of the organ;
• generating a force signal for each degree of freedom as a function of the force field;
• and
• directing a force on the member for each force signal, the generated forces providing the virtual reality.