Real-time Error Control for Surgical Simulation: Application to Percutaneous Interventions

Presentation (2017, August)

Real-time error control for surgical simulation

Poster (2016, December 12)

Objective: To present the first real-time a posteriori error-driven adaptive finite element approach for real-time simulation and to demonstrate the method on a needle insertion problem. Methods: We use ... [more ▼]

Objective: To present the first real-time a posteriori error-driven adaptive finite element approach for real-time simulation and to demonstrate the method on a needle insertion problem. Methods: We use corotational elasticity and a frictional needle/tissue interaction model based on friction. The problem is solved using finite elements within SOFA. The refinement strategy relies upon a hexahedron-based finite element method, combined with a posteriori error estimation driven local $h$-refinement, for simulating soft tissue deformation. Results: We control the local and global error level in the mechanical fields (e.g. displacement or stresses) during the simulation. We show the convergence of the algorithm on academic examples, and demonstrate its practical usability on a percutaneous procedure involving needle insertion in a liver. For the latter case, we compare the force displacement curves obtained from the proposed adaptive algorithm with that obtained from a uniform refinement approach. Conclusions: Error control guarantees that a tolerable error level is not exceeded during the simulations. Local mesh refinement accelerates simulations. Significance: Our work provides a first step to discriminate between discretization error and modeling error by providing a robust quantification of discretization error during simulations. [less ▲]

Real-time surgical simulation using a lattice-continuum approach

Presentation (2015, February 06)

Surgery is a complex practice whose positive outcome relies heavily on the experience of surgeons and therefore involves a number of risks. Computer-based simulation is a strong candidate for surgical ... [more ▼]

Surgery is a complex practice whose positive outcome relies heavily on the experience of surgeons and therefore involves a number of risks. Computer-based simulation is a strong candidate for surgical training, guidance and surgical robotics. Cutting, tearing, needle insertion and similar operations which require topological changes, contact, and whose outcome is significantly affected by the microstructure of the material (discontinuities, holes, interfaces) remain some of the most difficult surgical gestures to simulate. One of the difficulties emanates from the  requirement to handle propagating discontinuities as well as the micro or meso structure of the material being cut. We are interested in the development of a numerical tool capable of the interactive (50Hz) simulation of surgical cutting using a multi-domain lattice-continuum approach. Around the cutting region, a mesoscopic discrete lattice approach suitable for initiation of cuts and subsequent tears is used. The remaining regions can be modeled by a continuum approach or through model reduction approaches based on pre computations. The algorithms are implemented within the SOFA framework which is  targets  real-time computations, with an emphasis on medical simulation and the work is being performed in collaboration with the group of Dr Hadrien Courtecuisse and Stéphane Cotin. [less ▲]

Real-time error controlled adaptive mesh refinement in surgical simulation: Application to needle insertion simulation

in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering (n.d.)

This paper presents the first real-time discretisation-error-driven adaptive finite element approach for corotational elasticity problems involving strain localisation. We propose a hexahedron-based ... [more ▼]

This paper presents the first real-time discretisation-error-driven adaptive finite element approach for corotational elasticity problems involving strain localisation. We propose a hexahedron-based finite element method combined with local oct-tree $h$-refinement, driven by a posteriori error estimation, for simulating soft tissue deformation. This enables to control the local error and global error level in the mechanical fields during the simulation. The local error level is used to refine the mesh only where it is needed, while maintaining a coarser mesh elsewhere. We investigate the convergence of the algorithm on academic examples, and demonstrate its practical usability on a percutaneous procedure involving needle insertion in a liver. For the latter case, we compare the force displacement curves obtained from the proposed adaptive algorithm with that obtained from a uniform refinement approach. [less ▲]