Patient Specific Virtual Reality for Simulation of Spine Procedures: an Intelligent Image Segmentation, Registration and 3-dimensional Visualization in a Unified Virtual Reality Workflow for Image Guided Therapy, and Education - Physician Testing

This project will combine advanced 3d visualization, interaction, medical image segmentation, and registration to create and integrate a virtual reality (VR) model into surgical orthopaedic education. The work has 3 aspects, 1\) creating a patient specific 3D model with high accuracy of anatomic structures using patient specific medical imaging in an automated fashion, 2) interacting with 3D models of the patients, allowing the surgical procedures to be performed in virtual reality (including the resection of tissues, and placement of implants), 3) integrating the VR simulator into the surgical education of orthopaedic residents and fellows in training. This platform will reduce the time and cost associated with use of patient specific data, ultimately enabling pre-operative planning, post-procedural assessment and surgical simulation of spine procedures. The technology will improve surgical training, and the options for pre-treatment planning that will lead to better patient care, more efficient use of operating room time, and better trained surgeons.