As the time progresses, science and technology too advances by the minute. Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) developed a prototype simulator called the “NeuroTouch”, which lets the neurosurgeons rehearse before actually operating on a real patient to remove tumor. This is such a welcoming move considering how tricky and risky to remove a tumor from the brain is.

The patient’s life is literally at the highest risk, and one small goof up by the neurologists during the operation can cause death to the patient. This will also boost the morale of the neurologists and will make them more confident about handling a tough operation like removing a tumor from the brain. This $9.1 million three year project began in April 2008 in Canada’s National Research Council. They are still ameliorating the current prototype.

The researchers are trying their best to allow the doctors to work with both hands in the final simulator. The trial version runs in a very realistic way. The patient’s data from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is rendered into a 3-D, high resolution model of an individual’s brain.

Once the model is loaded into the system, doctors can touch and manipulate tumors using the instruments. The photo realistic on screen imagery shows the simulated surgery including bleeding and pulsing gray matter. This will definitely reduce the chances of mistakes committed by neurologists during a risky operation.

Via: Technologyreview\Popsci