Can Virtual Reality Simulate Medical Procedures?

The “In Their Own Words” series features profiles written by members of our 2024-2025 Bass Connections teams that showcase the discoveries, challenges and impact of teams who spent the year tackling real-world problems.

This summer, we invite you to explore the stories and outcomes of some of our 2024-2025 Bass Connections project teams. This series features team-written profiles that showcase the discoveries, challenges and impact of teams who spent the year tackling real-world problems.

The Virtual Reality for Health Education Advanced Learning (VR-HEAL) team set out to build a virtual reality training tool to help medical students practice interventional radiology procedures, especially central line catheter placement. They created a high-fidelity simulation that combined real-time tactile feedback, detailed 3D visuals and responsive user interaction to closely mimic the experience of a real procedure.  

This team was led by Jonathan Martin (School of Medicine) and Dominic Tanzillo (School of Medicine).

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By: Members of the Virtual Reality for Health Education Advanced Learning (VR-HEAL) team

Interventional radiology (IR) is a cutting-edge medical field that uses imaging to guide procedures – often replacing the need for more invasive surgery. However, most medical students don’t get real exposure to IR until late in their training, and hands-on practice is limited because traditional training tools do not fully capture the feel or complexity of these procedures.

The primary goal of the VR-HEAL project was to create a virtual reality (VR) training tool to help medical students practice interventional radiology procedures, including central line catheter placement. Breaking into hardware- and software-focused subteams, team members created a high-fidelity simulation that combines tactile, visual and real-time feedback to immerse users in a realistic training environment.

The hardware team developed physical components, such as catheter devices and haptic gloves that capture precise user hand movements, to emulate realistic interactions.  Meanwhile, the software team used Unity, a VR platform capable of handling complex simulations, to construct a detailed virtual operating room environment, complete with 3D models of medical tools, patient anatomy and a realistic X-ray screen that tracks catheter positioning.  

The simulation’s realism is heightened through real-time responsiveness to user actions. By leveraging the Vive OpenXR software development kit, the VR platform integrates spatial and force data from the hardware, mapping the user’s hand and catheter movements in VR with accuracy.

Data on applied forces are transmitted via Raspberry Pi and web sockets, which allow the software to adjust the catheter and patient model based on real-time input. If an excessive amount of force is applied, the simulation shows a visual indication of potential harm, providing users with a powerful visual cue to understand the procedure’s delicacy.

This interaction between hardware and software supports the project’s core goals of creating a training tool that closely mirrors the complexities of real-life IR procedures, ensuring that medical students can develop critical skills without the costs associated with traditional in-person training.

Overall, the initial planning for the VR-HEAL project sets a strong foundation for future development. By prioritizing realistic simulation and adaptive learning, the project has the potential to significantly improve training in interventional radiology. With ongoing research and user feedback, the project can evolve to meet the educational needs of medical students and advance the standards for virtual medical training tools.

Learn More

• Read another student- and faculty-authored team profile from the “In Their Own Words” series.
• Explore current and previous Bass Connections teams.
• Learn about the project team experience through stories from students.