A U.S. scientist is moving virtual surgery closer to reality, allowing surgeons to practice on a "digital double" before performing the actual procedure.

UCLA mathematician Joseph Teran says such a technology will save lives.

"You could have a patient in a small town scanned while a surgeon hundreds or thousands of miles away practices the surgery," he said. "The patient then flies out for the surgery."

Such technology is not quite developed, Teran said.

"A three-dimensional double of you can be made, but it would now take 20 people six to nine months. In the future, one person will be able to do it in minutes. It's going to happen, and it will allow surgeons to make fewer mistakes on actual patients.

"The only limiting factor is the complexity of the geometry involved," he added. "We're working on that."

Teran plans to conduct a virtual surgery workshop Jan. 7-11 as part of UCLA's Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics.  // Copyright 2007 by United Press International



Publication date: 29 November 2007   

Source:

Archive