Liver 3D reconstruction modalities - The first step toward a laparoscopic liver surgery simulator

Abstract

Three-dimensional reconstructions of the liver will be used to develop a new laparoscopic liver surgery simulator. The first step on this way is to develop a realistic virtual model from CT-scans, and then, using finite element analysis, consistency will be associated with different structures and tumors within the liver. This study aims to find the best way to obtain a 3D liver reconstruction with inner structures which will be used later for a finite element analysis. The protocols for slices acquisition from CT-scanner are presented. Also a comparison between reconstructions with dedicated software from CT-scanner providers (method 1) and image reconstruction software (method 2) are performed. The first method obtains 3D reconstructions faster than the second method, but these images cannot be used for a finite element analysis. On the other hand the second method obtains 3D reconstructions harder, but these images can be used for finite element analysis and utilized later to develop a virtual environment for integration in laparoscopic simulator. © 2009 Springer.