Incorporating a Module for the Practice of Space-Anatomic Positioning Ability, to the Otolaryngology Simulator WESST-OT

Abstract

With the development of this project, a great aide is presented to the user of the prototype «Análisis, diseño e implementación del prototipo de un entorno de práctica de habilidades quirúrgicas en Otorrinolaringología». This aide will help the user to acquire the space-anatomic positioning ability, which allows the user to   associate what he sees on 2D radiological slices with what he sees through the virtual endoscope of the simulation environment. To achieve the cited ability, the user is presented with radiological images (tomography slices) with red marks that represent the current position of the endoscope he is using in the simulation environment. There are no new types of users added with this extension, but multiple modifications were made to the user interface, to the functionality and evaluation system. The Object Oriented methodology is used and the language used for this extension is the same that the one used in the original simulation environment -JAVA. Also, there is more data sent into the database system. To achieve the 3D - 2D association needed to place the endoscope positions, questions and information on the radiological images, an auxiliary software was developed in C language; this software gave us the capability to match tridimensional morphological structures with their radiological, 2D partners.