Ostrava medics will learn to operate using virtual reality
LERCO will enable the teaching of medicine at the most modern level
Virtual reality has become a part of many industries in recent years, not just entertainment. As part of the LERCO scientific research project, educational modules using virtual reality are being created for teaching selected surgical and neurosurgical procedures. The created simulation models should mainly be used by doctors and students of nursing study programs at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ostrava. In the future, also surgeons and other medical personnel in their clinical practice.
Students will try their first operation even without the necessary qualifications
"The main goal of the VR Surgery module is to familiarize students with the procedure of individual operations. It will enable students to feel everything, gain awareness, confidence, automate some procedures so that during real performance they do not have to think about the procedure of the operation, but they have already rehearsed everything. And that's exactly what virtual reality will help them with. It has the potential to excellently prepare future doctors and nurses for practice. I am convinced that the teaching of medical care will move forward thanks to this," explains the main advantages of the educational module, Jakub Doležel, one of the members of the multidisciplinary team, who also works at the Telemedicine Services Center of the Ostrava University Hospital.
At the moment, a team of experts is developing three basic modules simulating different types of surgical and neurosurgical operations, so that they can be used by undergraduate and postgraduate students as soon as possible. In the future, a number of expansions are planned so that not only future doctors, but also other medical personnel can train in a number of procedures associated with pre- and post-operative care. Other experts from various medical fields have already shown interest in the learning module, as it allows them to go through the entire surgical procedure step by step even during a real operation. It can precisely navigate the doctor during the operation and, combined with advanced monitoring technologies, minimizes any complications and risks.
What awaits the student in virtual reality
The most advanced in terms of development is the module focused on the technique of introducing an intracranial pressure ICP sensor. This performance for monitoring the course of severe brain damage, for example as a result of an accident, requires maximum precision and advanced skill of the entire operating team. The operator, typically a graduate student for example, will be able to "practice" this performance before the actual surgery and thoroughly prepare for a real clinical situation.
"The module enables the very first training of a real situation, so that medics can get an idea of how the procedure is performed and what tools they will use. This is done by connecting the user through virtual reality glasses, thus finding themselves in a virtual surgical room where the patient is lying and a table with all the necessary instruments is prepared. During the operation, the student is guided by information bubbles, the tools he has to use are colored green, and he can also see exactly where and how to work with them," explains Jakub Doležel.
A great advantage of this teaching method is the possibility of displaying the simulated operation on the screen, so the teacher can comment to the students on what is happening, how to proceed further and why.
The LERCO project will enable the development of educational modules that will precisely correspond to the needs of medical faculties. Not only does the Ostrava workplace not have to use other commercial products, but on the contrary the goal is to offer these applications to other educational entities and regular users. "We are constantly improving and expanding the product. We are also able to prepare modules for a specific request. I am convinced that our modules for virtual reality have great commercial potential," believes Doležel.
Life Environment Research Center Ostrava (LERCO)
is a newly built scientific and research hub that, as one of the tools, enables the transformation of the Moravian-Silesian Region (hereafter MSK) from a "coal" to a "healthier and smarter" region. State-of-the-art facilities and 9 excellent research teams of the project will enable the implementation of activities in a broad and unique interdisciplinary focus in biomedical, natural science and behavioral fields, from basic research through experimental development to applied research, across scientific research institutions (OU, FNO, VŠB-TUO) and others collaborating scientific research and commercial entities from practice in the Czech Republic and abroad.
The goal of the project is comprehensive support for the development of the innovative scientific research potential of the MSK region in non-technical fields with an impact on: the health of the population, the development of science and research cooperation with the commercial sphere (support for the creation of spin-off and start-up companies), support for employment in the region, increasing the attractiveness of the region in science and research, education and municipalities by providing innovative tools.
The project is not based on commercial activities or their support, it only prepares a suitable background in the long term for further possible (and desirable) cooperation between the scientific research sphere and the application sphere at MSK, which has not yet been sufficient regionally.
