Patent ID: 8831924

Claim:
A modeling system for enabling a user to perform a simulated medical procedure, said system comprising: one or more computers; a display for displaying images to the user; a database for storing physical characteristics of an organ and surrounding tissue; an image generator using one or more of said computers for executing software adapted for generating a dynamic realistic image of the organ and surrounding tissue for displaying on said display, wherein said realistic image is provided showing an appearance including shadowing and textures indicative of an actual organ and surrounding tissue; a user tool library stored in said database for providing a plurality of user tool models of actual user tools used in medical procedures; a user interface connected to one or more of said computers adapted for accepting inputs from the user for selecting one of the user tool models; a user tool generator using one or more of said computers for executing software for generating a realistic tool image of the selected user tool model for displaying on said display; and a user interface connected to one or more of said computers adapted for accepting inputs from the user, said inputs used by said computers for dynamically manipulating said tool image for dynamically interacting with said realistic image of the organ and surrounding tissue during the simulated medical procedure for display to the user on said display in real-time, wherein the dynamic interaction between the tool image and the image of the organ and surrounding tissue is displayed on said display using images with realistic visual features exhibiting realistic mechanical interactions based on the stored physical characteristics.