Tomohiro Kuroda

Interaction model between elastic objects for haptic feedback considering collisions of soft tissue

The simulation of organ-organ interaction is indispensable for practical and advanced medical VR simulator such as open surgery and indirect palpation. This paper describes a method to represent real-time interaction between elastic objects for accurate force feedback in medical VR simulation. The proposed model defines boundary deformation of colliding elements based on temporary surface forces calculated by temporary deformation. The model produces accurate deformation and force feedback considering collisions of objects as well as prevents unrealistic overlap of objects. A prototype simulator of rectal palpation is constructed on general desktop PC with a haptic device, PHANToM. The system allows users to feel different stiffness of a rear elastic object located behind another elastic object. The results of experiments confirmed the method expresses organ-organ interaction in real-time and produces realistic and perceivable force feedback.

Effect of a Kinect-Based Exercise Game on Improving Executive Cognitive Performance in Community-Dwelling Elderly: Case Control Study

Decrease of Dual-Task (DT) ability is known to be one of fall-risk factors. We developed a new game concept, Dual-Task Tai Chi (DTTC), using Kinect (Microsoft Co.), a motion-capture device, and demonstrated that the DTTC test can quantitatively evaluate various functions that are known risk factors for falling in elderly adults. Moreover, DT training has been attracting attention as a way to improve balance and DT ability. However, only a few studies have reported that it improves cognitive performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to demonstrate whether or not a 12-week program of DTTC training would effectively improve cognitive functions. A total of 41 elderly individuals (training group: n = 26, control group: n = 15) participated in this study and their cognitive functions were assessed before and after DTTC training. Significant differences were observed between the two groups with significant group x time interactions for the executive cognitive function measure: t:. trail-making test (part Bpart A) (p <; 0.05). The results suggest that DTTC training is effective for improving executive cognitive functions.

Transferring bioelasticity knowledge through haptic interaction

This study establishes a practical environment for transferring knowledge on bioelasticity between expert and trainee medical practitioners. Through haptic interaction with a deformable virtual anatomical model, experts set the models elasticity conditions by simulating a surgical procedure. Trainees experience the elasticity by attempting the same surgical manipulation

Electronic Clinical Path System Based on Semistructured Data Model Using Personal Digital Assistant for Onsite Access

Clinical Paths (Paths) have been introduced by different hospitals for patient care management. An Electronic Clinical Path (ECP) with onsite access provision seems to improve the efficiency of medical staffs because they can share vast medical information about patients at a time and also can reuse accumulated data easily, which is impossible with paper-based Path. Data model is the basis for implementing ECP. However, there is no established model for ECP. The purpose of this study is to introduce a model for ECP and implement an ECP with onsite access system. We introduced a Semistructured Data Model (SSDM) for ECP, and implemented a Web application system based on this model using Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) as inputting device. Our system functioned as expected with wireless LAN, and users handled the data on bedside using PDA. By introducing SSDM, we showed the correspondence between schema of Paths and implementation of ECP.

Wireless User Perspectives in Europe: HandSmart Mediaphone Interface

HandSmart is one example of wearable device that can be used as a user interface for advanced mediaphones and it is based on MARISIL a Mobile Augmented Reality Interface Sign Interpretation Language. This paper will describe the interface and some of the applications of these new types of personal devices. The user-centered development methodology is discussed in brief at the end of the paper. Evolutions in technology have provided a variety of new opportunities for exploring and discovering virtual 3D worlds. Head-mounted displays and data gloves enable us to interact and immerse much better into the artificial generated 3D environment. Such devices have been advertised in the entertainment media and are recognized by the public as the symbols of virtual reality (VR). Augmented Reality that has the attribute of being more related to real world than VR by overlaying virtual sounds, feelings or visions onto our senses within the real world, can therefore extend our natural experiences. The authors believe that the new generation of mediaphones can embed these new techniques.

Embedded Ubiquitous Services on Hospital Information Systems

Hospital information systems (HIS) have turned a hospital into a gigantic computer with huge computational power, huge storage, and wired/wireless local area network. On the other hand, a modern medical device, such as echograph, is a computer system with several functional units connected by an internal network named a bus. Therefore, we can embed such a medical device into the HIS by simply replacing the bus with the local area network. This paper designed and developed two embedded systems, a ubiquitous echograph system, and a networked digital camera. Evaluations of the developed systems clearly show that the proposed approach, embedding existing clinical systems into HIS, drastically changes productivity in the clinical field. Once a clinical system becomes a pluggable unit for a gigantic computer system, HIS, the combination of multiple embedded systems with application software designed under deep consideration about clinical processes may lead to the emergence of disruptive innovation in the clinical field.

Development of Fundamental Infrastructure for Nationwide EHR in Japan

The movement of create medical information systems that is now taking place involves both progress in EMR (Electronic Medical Records)—computerization of records at hospitals and clinics, and also in EHR (Electronic Health Records) in which information is shared with individual regions. However, the geographical coming and going of people in modern society is extremely active. Naturally the places these people move to are not necessarily within the same region. For this reason, even if the basic unit for the health care supply system is in practical terms limited to the local level, if services are restricted to only one region, many persons may be unable to receive the benefits of health care cooperation. In this study, we constructed a mechanism for a medical cooperation system which links the EHR systems of individual regions and is able to create a one-patient, one-record system on the national level. In this paper, we will provide a report of this mechanism and of the 4-year operational trial.

Activity recognition of the elderly

The development of context aware services is one proposed way to support independent living for the elderly. Performing test scenarios with the elderly helps when developing the context aware services. However, rigorous testing is not always desirable when working with elderly subjects. Our research proposes to capture the activity data of the subjects to use with a virtual environment and virtual human to test the services. This paper begins a larger set of research by describing a process in which the daily activities of the elderly are captured using accelerometer sensors. The process consists of pre-investigation, data capturing and data postprocessing. Using common activity recognition methods daily activities chosen by two elderly subjects themselves are recognized reasonably well. This allows using the described process in larger experiments to acquire more activity data.

Physics-Based Simulation of Surgical Fields for Preoperative Strategic Planning

Although careful planning of surgical approach is a key for success of surgery, conventional planning and simulation tools cannot support detailed discussion. This issue is derived from the difficulty of estimating complex physical behavior of soft tissues provided by a series of surgical procedures like cutting and deformation. This paper proposes an adaptive physics-based framework that simulates both interactive cutting and accurate deformation on virtual bodies, and performs preoperative planning for supporting strategic discussion. We focus on limited use of the two models: A particle-based model and an FEM-based model considering required quality and performance in different situations. FEM-based deformation of incision accurately produces estimated surgical fields. Based on the framework, a strategic planning system was developed for supporting decision of surgical approach using 3D representation of the surgical fields. We applied clinical CT dataset of an aortic aneurysm case to the system. Some experiments and usability tests confirmed that the system contributes to grasping 3D shape and location of the target organs and performs detailed discussion on patient-specific surgical approaches.

Combining Volumetric Soft Tissue Cuts for Interventional Surgery Simulation

This paper proposes a framework to simulate soft tissue cuts for interventional surgery simulation. A strained status of soft tissues is modeled as internal tension between adjacent vertices in a particle based model. Both remodeling particle systems and an adaptive scheme in tetrahedral subdivision provide volumetric and smooth cuts on large virtual objects. 3D MRI datasets are applied to a developed system with a force feedback device. Measurement of the calculation time and visualization of simulation quality confirms that the framework contributes to surgical planning and training with tissue cutting.