LAHYSTOTRAIN: Integration of virtual environments and ITS for surgery training

Abstract

Minimally invasive surgery has revolutionised the surgeon’s approach by using optical systems to inspect cavities of the human body and by using small instruments to perform surgical procedures. This paper presents the LAHYSTOTRAIN demonstrator a training system for laparoscopy and hysteroscopy, two types of minimally invasive surgery techniques, combining a Virtual Reality Simulator (VRS), which contains virtual anatomical structures and simulates endoscope surgical instruments, a Basic Training System (BTS), that provides web based theoretical training, and an agent-based tutoring system, the Advanced Training System (ATS), oriented to supervise the execution of the practical exercises providing proactive and reactive explanations and emulating the behaviour of some persons involved in the operating theatre like the nurse, assistant surgeon and anaesthetist.