Partnership aiming to revolutionise surgical training

Oct 22 2009 By The Journal

COMPUTER experts in the region have embarked on a £123,000 collaboration project with a Chinese university which could ultimately improve the way doctors train for complicated surgery procedures.

The partnership between Teesside University’s computer graphics and visualisation department and academics at Shanghai University began earlier this month.

The research aims to solve problems faced by augmented reality systems, which produce advanced visualisation technologies by merging real and computer generated imagery to create mixed realities.

Dr Wen Tang of Teesside University said that by solving some of the problems of augmented reality systems, the research could help unlock the technology’s potential – providing a realistic and safe training platform for doctors to observe and understand surgical processes before entering the theatre.

She said: "The opportunities and applications for augmented reality are vast, but at the moment it is still in the territory of research and development.

"However, we’re really hopeful that this collaboration will help bring it out of the laboratory and into the real world where it could be used to instruct surgeons and simulate a range of training environments where the consequences of a mistake are huge."

She also said key problems the research would tackle include improving the usability of the hardware associated with augmented reality and the efficiency of blending photographic imagery with CGI data.

The research was suggested by Dr Charlie Song, a medical doctor formerly at Dundee University, but who has since returned to Shanghai. Dr Song approached One North East and Knowledge House looking for a suitable collaborator from one of the North East’s universities.

To ensure the successful delivery of the project, One North East contacted Knowledge House, an organisation which matches expertise in the North East’s universities with development opportunities in private and public sector businesses.

Mark Jackson, business development director at Knowledge House said the partnership showed what was achievable when collaborative working was employed.

"Partnerships and knowledge sharing, utilising international technology resources and combining the strengths from both parties and practical needs, are the fastest way to accelerate the technology development and commercialisation which have benefits for society as a whole.

"It’s very satisfying to have helped set up a partnership as far-reaching as this, and best of luck to the researchers both in Teesside and in Shanghai for the project." The collaboration is another example of the increasing links between North East England and Shanghai following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between One North East and the Shanghai Ministry of Science and Technology to develop trade, investment and research in areas of common interest.

Four professors, three PhD students and six masters students based in Teesside and China will work on the project which has been backed by £54,000 from Teesside University and £45,000 is funded by the Technology Innovation Action Plan from the Science and Technology Commission at Shanghai Municipality.