A new study, published in the journal Virtual Reality & Intelligent Hardware, shows how a differentiated approach to simulate nasal endoscopy in a virtual system with graphic renderings could be deployed in clinical settings.
According to the researchers, it also provides a realistic environment for the training of the exam procedure. A method of filtering and remodeling in a triangular mesh is proposed, which can serve as a new model for the simulation system for nasal endoscopy exams and can be used to identify pathologies.
The approach allows developers of new training sets to optimize their applications, transforming the 3D model used in a lighter and more compact file while maintaining the graphic quality, realism, and required processing. Then, it will be possible to prepare practical tests and improve training efficiency.
As a result, this study allows the user to obtain the necessary practical skills without risk to actual patients in conditions that resemble the real-life operating room, thus, significantly reducing the number of surgical errors, improving the perception of identification of different pathologies, and serving as a tool that assesses the knowledge and skills developed by professionals.
All the simulated procedures in this endoscopy exam were checked and compared with the standard procedure. Compared with simulators based on real-time mesh manipulation rendering, the proposed approach demonstrates its precision in virtual endoscopy through its graphic quality.
The study was limited to simulating nasal endoscopy. The simulation does not use specific hardware and aims to detect only the following pathologies: hypertrophy of turbines, septal deviation, adenoid hypertrophy, nasal polyposis, and tumor. Therefore, the researchers say, it is necessary to perform a complete medical validation of the system and a deeper quantitative analysis of the results, in addition to surveying the educational impact on medical education institutions.
