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A device system and method for simulating laparoscopic procedures, particularly for the purposes of instruction and/or demonstration. The system comprises one or more virtual organs to be operated on. The organ comprises a plurality of elements, each element having neighboring elements; and a plural

A device system and method for simulating laparoscopic procedures, particularly for the purposes of instruction and/or demonstration. The system comprises one or more virtual organs to be operated on. The organ comprises a plurality of elements, each element having neighboring elements; and a plurality of tensioned connections connecting neighboring elements over said organ, such that force applied at one of said elements propagates via respective neighboring elements provides a distributed reaction over said organ. In addition there is a physical manipulation device for manipulation by a user; and a tracking arrangement for tracking said physical manipulation device and translating motion of said physical manipulation device into application of forces onto said virtual organ. The system is capable of simulating organs moving, cutting, suturing, coagulations and other surgical and surgery-related operations.

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What is claimed is: 1. A computer system comprising a virtual organ for use in simulated medical procedures, the computer system comprising: a processor to perform a simulated medical procedure using the virtual organ, the virtual organ being a computer-implemented simulation, a user interaction de

What is claimed is: 1. A computer system comprising a virtual organ for use in simulated medical procedures, the computer system comprising: a processor to perform a simulated medical procedure using the virtual organ, the virtual organ being a computer-implemented simulation, a user interaction device for user interaction with the virtual organ during the simulated medical procedure; and a user interface for presenting results of the simulated medical procedure, wherein the virtual organ comprises: a structure of elastic strip elements that simulate connecting tissues to be removed in the medical procedure, each strip element being a linear segment defined by a diameter function along the length of the strip element and two connection points wherein the diameter function defines a volume parameter around the linear segment at each point of the segment and when force is applied to a particular one of the elastic strip elements at a coagulation point by the user interaction, the diameter of the particular strip element at the coagulation point is reduced to zero so as to remove the particular strip element from the structure. 2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the virtual organ further comprises a network of spline curves in a tree and branch configuration, the spline curves being connected such that a force applied at one of said spline curves provides pull and stretch propagation through said tree and branch configuration, therewith to provide a blood circulation network to said organ, said spline curves have respective lengths and are surrounded circumferentially by tubular meshes, wherein a tubular mesh comprises a plurality of polygons grouped to form a tubular surface. 3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said tubular meshes comprise radii that vary along said lengths. 4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said tubular meshes comprise profiles that vary along said lengths. 5. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said tubular meshes comprise textures that vary along said lengths. 6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the virtual organ further comprises a plurality of elements, each element having neighboring elements and a plurality of tensioned connections connecting neighboring elements over said organ, such that force applied at one of said elements propagates via respective neighboring elements to provide a distributed reaction over said organ and at least one of said elements is a core element whose movement under application of a force is subject to an additional constraint. 7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein said core element is connected to a control point of a spline curve simulating a blood vessel, thereby to cause said additional constraint to propagate to said spline curve. 8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein said core element is part of an outer skin of said organ, and said additional constraint is to retain said core element in a predetermined position, thereby to provide a restorative force to neighboring elements thereof. 9. The computer system of claim 8, further configured to be temporarily disconnected from said at least one core element to allow a global movement of said organ. 10. The computer system of claim 9, further being configured to permit connection of additional tensioned connections to oppositely facing elements thereof during said global movement, wherein oppositely facing elements comprise a pair of elements arranged to permit the exertion of a force upon a first one of said elements in an opposite direction to said second one of said elements. 11. The computer system of claim 1, comprising at least one additional element to provide a gravitational effect on said organ. 12. The computer system of claim 1, associated with a tracking arrangement, wherein said force is applied thereto in accordance with tracking of a physical tool by said tracking arrangement. 13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said tracking arrangement is an optical tracking arrangement. 14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said tracking arrangement is an ultrasound tracking arrangement. 15. A system for simulation of a surgical procedure comprising: a) at least one virtual organ, the virtual organ being a computer-implemented simulation comprising: a structure of elastic strip elements that simulate connecting tissues to be removed in the medical procedure, each strip element being a linear segment defined by a diameter function along the length of the strip element and two connection points wherein the diameter function defines a volume parameter around the linear segment at each point of the segment and when force is applied to a particular one of the elastic strip elements at a coagulation point by a user interaction with the virtual organ, the diameter of the particular strip element at the coagulation point is reduced to zero so as to remove the particular strip element from the structure; b) a physical manipulation device for manipulation by a user; and c) a tracking arrangement for tracking said physical manipulation device and translating motion of said physical manipulation device into application of forces onto said virtual organ. 16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a feedback unit for providing force feed back to said physical manipulation device. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein said physical manipulation device is a laparoscopy tool. 18. The system of claim 15, wherein said tracking arrangement is an optical tracking arrangement. 19. The system of claim 15, wherein said tracking arrangement is an ultrasound tracking arrangement. 20. The system of claim 15, wherein said virtual organ further comprises a network of spline curves in a tree and branch configuration, the spline curves being connected such that a force applied at one of said spline curves provides pull and stretch propagation through said tree and branch configuration, therewith to provide a blood circulation network to said organ and said spline curves are connected such that a force applied at one of said spline curves propagates through connected spline curves over said tree and branch configurations. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein said spline curves have respective lengths and are surrounded circumferentially by tubular meshes, wherein a tubular mesh comprises a plurality of polygons grouped to form a tubular surface. 22. The system of claim 21, wherein said tubular meshes comprise radii that vary along said lengths. 23. The system of claim 21, wherein said tubular meshes comprise profiles that vary along said lengths. 24. The system of claim 21, wherein said tubular meshes comprise textures that vary along said lengths. 25. A method for simulating an interaction with an organ, the method comprising: providing a computer system and a physical interaction device; constructing a simulated organ on said computer system using a plurality of particles and spring/damper (SD) sets, ones of said plurality of particles being connected to others of said particles by said SD set to provide a plurality of connected particles to collectively model a mechanical geometric behavior of the organ, wherein the simulated organ comprises a structure of elastic strip elements that simulate connecting tissues, at least a portion of the elastic strip elements are to be removed in a simulated medical procedure, each strip element being a linear segment defined by a diameter function along the length of the strip element and two connection points, wherein the diameter function defines a volume parameter around the linear segment at each point of the segment; simulating a physical force on the organ by applying a simulated instrument to a location on said organ using said physical interaction device, said location corresponding to at least one of said particles, said force being allowed to alter at least one physical characteristic of the organ according to application of said force to said at least one of said particles directly, and according to application of said force indirectly via said SD set to others of said particles; and simulating a physical force on a particular one of the elastic strip elements by applying a virtual model of the physical interaction device to a coagulation point on the particular strip element, wherein the force causes the diameter of the particular strip element at the coagulation point to be reduced to zero so as to remove the particular strip element to be cut and removed from the structure. 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising: adding a tree structure of spline curves, the spline curves being connected such that a force applied at one of said spline curves provides pull and stretch propagation through said tree and branch configuration, to provide to said organ a simulation of a blood circulation network, wherein said adding the tree structure comprises surrounding respective ones of said spline curves with meshworks of variable radii. 27. The method of claim 25, comprising removing the particular strip element by reducing the diameter function at the location on the particular strip element to zero. 28. The method of claim 25, wherein said simulated instrument is a simulated surgical instrument. 29. The method of claim 25, wherein said simulated instrument is a simulated laparoscopy instrument. 30. The method of claim 25, wherein said simulating the physical force is simulating any one of a group comprising: moving said organ, cutting said organ, pressing said organ, suturing said organ, and carrying out a coagulation at said organ. 31. The method of claim 25, comprising linking each of said particles to each neighboring particle via one of said SD sets, such that motion at each particle brings about secondary motion at neighbors thereof. 32. The method of claim 25, comprising constructing said elastic elements to simulate physical properties of elastic bands. 33. The method of claim 25, comprising connecting said elastic elements to two points in the simulated organ. 34. The method of claim 25, comprising: simulating deformations as a result of interaction with other virtual objects using sliding contact points, wherein a contact point comprises a location of contact between said simulated instrument and said organ, to simulate a motion of said simulated instrument upon or within said organ. 35. The method of claim 25, further comprising configuring said elastic elements to apply forces back to the points of connection or contact points as a result of stretching or deformation of said elastic elements. 36. The method of claim 25, further comprising: constructing a visual display model of the organ according to a plurality of polygons, said polygons being connected at vertices of said polygons; determining a correspondence between each particle and each vertex; and simulating a visual display of the organ according to said simulation of the organ and according to said correspondence. 37. A method for simulating a surgical procedure on a body component using a computer system and a physical interaction device, the method comprising: on said computer system constructing at least the body component as a plurality of particles and spring/damper (SD) sets, wherein at least one of said plurality of particles is connected by at least one SD set to at least one other particle, such that movement at one of said connected particles leads to an effect on another particle connected thereto, wherein the body component comprises a structure of elastic strip elements that simulate connecting tissues, at least a portion of the elastic strip elements are to be removed in a simulated medical procedure, each strip element being a linear segment defined by a diameter function along the length of the strip element and two connection points, wherein the diameter function defines a volume parameter around the linear segment at each point of the segment; simulating a physical interaction with a physical force on at least one of said particles based on user input via said physical interaction device, such that said physical interaction propagates over the body component via respectively connected SD sets following application of said force to said at least one particle; wherein said physical interaction is part of said surgical procedure; and simulating a physical force on a particular one of the elastic strip elements by applying a virtual model of the physical interaction device to a coagulation point on the particular strip element, wherein the force causes the diameter of the particular strip element at the coagulation point to be reduced to zero so as to remove the particular strip element from the structure. 38. The method of claim 37, further comprising: altering a visual display of at least the body component at least partially according to said physical interaction. 39. The method of claim 38, wherein said alteration of said visual display is performed by: constructing a visual display model of at least the body component according to a plurality of polygons, said polygons being connected at vertices of said polygons; determining a correspondence between each particle and each vertex; and simulating a visual display of at least the body component according to said simulation of at least the body component and according to said correspondence. 40. The method of claim 37, comprising performing said physical interaction according to a behavior of a simulated tool. 41. The method of claim 40, comprising using tracking of a physical manipulation device to define said behavior of said simulated tool.