Development of A User-Centered Virtual Liver Surgery Planning System

Abstract

The present study is intended to develop a user-centered virtual liver surgery planning system called Dr. Liver which has clinical applicability and effectiveness to support liver surgery. Existing virtual surgery systems needs to be customized to liver surgery and improved for better usability and time efficiency. A use scenario of a virtual liver surgery planning system was established through literature review, benchmarking, and interviews with surgeons. Based on the use scenario, detailed liver surgery planning procedures were defined. The major functions of Dr. Liver include (1) extraction of the liver, vessels, and tumors from abdominal CT images, (2) estimation of the standard liver volume of a patient, (3) volumetry of the extracted liver, vessels, and tumors, (4) segmentation of the liver into 8 segments based on structures of the extracted portal and hepatic veins, and (5) support of surgery planning. Novel algorithms were developed and implemented into Dr. Liver for accuracy and time efficiency. Various user-friendly features such as a procedural interface of virtual liver surgery planning were integrated into Dr. Liver for better usability. Dr. Liver would be applied to safe and rational planning of liver surgery.

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