Stanford University Creates a Touch-Enabled Virtual "Body Double" for Rehearsing Sinus Surgery Using SensAble`s Haptic Devices

Allows Surgeons to Feel Each Patient`s Unique Sinus Morphology As Shown on a
Computer Screen for Better Surgical Rehearsal and Planning - At Zero Risk to
Patient
WOBURN, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
SensAble Technologies, Inc, the leading provider of haptic devices and
touch-enabled modeling solutions, announced that its customer, Stanford
University, has created a personalized touch-enabled 3D virtual environment for
rehearsing endoscopic sinus surgery techniques based on SensAble`s PHANTOM
force-feedback haptic devices.

As detailed in the new issue of the American Journal of Rhinology & Allergy, the
Stanford Rhinological Virtual Surgical Environment (VSE) demonstration project
compiles the patient`s own pre-operative CT scans into a computer-based,
touch-enabled 3D "body double" of the patient`s unique sinus morphology. Using
the system, experienced surgeons can work by feel to digitally plan specific
surgical pathways based on the patient`s actual anatomy, reducing the element of
surprise during actual surgery. Additionally, residents can use the system to
learn the feeling of the anatomical variability presented in a case, and train
on techniques that best address a patient`s needs, with zero risk to the
patient.

Stanford`s nine-person team is the first to touch-enable personalized surgical
rehearsal using the patient`s own preoperative images - the ultimate in
"AnatoME"- and the first solution to do so using standard, off-the-shelf
"desktop" components. As detailed in the journal article, Stanford`s system cost
an estimated one-tenth of existing endoscopic surgery simulators which do not
personalize the training experience, yet it delivers on-screen video at speeds
close to those seen during actual surgery. Greater affordability can
significantly increase the number of surgeons who have access to such systems,
beyond just large teaching institutions, and signals a new era of vastly more
personalized surgical planning and training.

"It`s extremely hard for students to thoroughly learn a specific patient`s sinus
anatomy prior to a surgical procedure, given that the structures in this region
are both highly complex and variable. We need safer and more effective ways to
train than the traditional method of learning on live patients," said Dr.
Nikolas Blevins, Chief of the, Division of Otology/ Neurotology at Stanford
University School of Medicine who also maintains clinical research interests in
emerging technologies for clinical imaging. "The integration of haptics in our
simulator allows surgeons-in-training to actually feel and navigate the complex
volumes and shapes that they will encounter during surgery. While we have many
further refinements to make, our virtual surgical environment demonstrates that
it`s indeed possible to transform the surgical planning process by creating an
immersive training environment with haptics, which our preliminary findings
characterize as extremely helpful."

In the paper, the authors explain that because vital organs such as the optic
nerve and carotid artery are located near the sinus cavities, endoscopic sinus
procedures can place the patient at risk of injury or death -- and can be
daunting for even the experienced otolaryngologist. Individual anatomical
variability in the human sinus region is high. Yet standard procedure for
surgical planning in rhinology today is usually for the surgeon to view serial
2D CT scan images- images whose cross-sectional views make it hard to spot and
understand a patient's specific variations, let alone important elements of how
they feel. The surgeon is still left to make the conceptual leap between static
2D cross-sectional images, and the actual 3D anatomy encountered during surgery
- without the benefit of patient-specific rehearsal.

In the Stanford study, the collaborators took multiple CT scans of the sinus
cavities of two different patients - then created a composite 3D display of each
patient`s anatomy on standard computer hardware, and touch-enabled those
displays for the surgeons` practice. Instead of holding a computer mouse, the
surgeon holds a SensAble PHANTOM haptic device outfitted with an end effector
that closely resembles a surgical telescope or endoscopic surgical instrument --
providing a realistic sense of touch as they probe the bony framework within the
sinus cavity and mucosal structures. The authors explain how such personalized
virtual models helped the surgeons on the team to feel, as well as to see, that
patient`s actual structure; to learn the location and feeling of "subtle
surgically relevant landmarks" to guide their surgery; and to refine their
options of how to handle - literally - various surgical approaches before the
patient is lying on the table.

"Currently, there is no intuitive way for ear-nose-throat surgeons to interact
with data from preoperative images, and certainly no way to learn the feeling of
internal anatomy prior to operating on patients," said Kenneth Salisbury, Ph.D.,
haptics expert and professor in the Departments of Computer Science and Surgery
at Stanford University and noted pioneer and expert in haptics. "While further
validation is needed, we believe that our surgical simulation environment
represents an important step toward enabling surgeons to rehearse procedures
with patient-specific data, and may provide a considerably more rich means for
pre-operative preparation."

"Someday soon, consumers will be asking their doctors to cite how many times
he/she has rehearsed their surgery on their own virtual body double - not simply
how many times they`ve performed the procedures on other people," said Dr. David
Chen, chief technology officer at SensAble Technologies. "Stanford`s work is at
the forefront of patient-specific surgical planning, and builds on the
increasing use of touch-enabled virtual training systems. Haptics provides an
important sense of realism to these systems, and we believe the results will be
better trained surgeons and better patient outcomes."

About SensAble Technologies

Founded in 1993, SensAble Technologies is a leading developer of 3D
touch-enabled (force feedback) solutions and technology that allow users to not
only see and hear an on-screen computer application, but to actually "feel" it.
With 41 patents granted and over 7,000 systems installed worldwide, SensAble
Technologies' haptic technology is being used in applications ranging from
designing toys and footwear, to surgical simulation and stroke rehabilitation,
to dental restorations, as well as a range of research and robotic applications.
The company markets its own 3D modeling solutions as well as its haptic devices
and developer toolkits to medical, dental, design, and manufacturing companies;
educational and research institutions; and OEMs. SensAble products are available
through direct and reseller channels worldwide. www.sensable.com.

PHANTOM, SensAble and SensAble Technologies, Inc. are trademarks or registered
trademarks of SensAble Technologies, Inc. Other brand and product names are
trademarks of their respective holders.

SensAble Technologies, Inc.
Laura Wallace, 781-939-7437
media@sensable.com
or
MKM Corporate Communications
Mary Kae Marinac, 978-685-3136
mkmarinac@comcast.net

Copyright Business Wire 2009