Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2003

Mentor: Robert Eberhart
Department: Surgery
Room number: G8.248
Mail Code: 9031
Phone number: 214/648-2052
E-mail: robert.eberhart@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: Simulation of laparoscopic hernia repair in virtual space with haptics

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): NA

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): NA

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)

Brief Description of Project:
Laparoscopic surgery entails mapping 3D spatial and tactile information into a 2D realm,
which requires trainees to learn new spatial relation and haptic skills. Together with Professor Venkat Devarajan (College of Engineering, UT Arlington) and Dr. Mark Watson (Department of Surgery), we are developing a simulation of the entire laparoscopic hernia repair operation. This, to our knowledge, is the first time such a comprehensive modeling effort has been undertaken.

There are upwards of twelve engineering grad students programming this simulation, and many questions come up regarding the real clinical situation. MSI Toral Patel, with a background in Biomedical Engineering, is very well suited to serve as a medical interface person for these students and staff, and to also serve as a first user of the simulation. As such she will spend time in the surgical simulation labs at UT Arlington and the Southwestern Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery, coordinating the activities of programmers and potential trainees.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:
Adrianne Browning "Albuminated microspheres for naked DNA delivery"
Cecilia Alejandra Garcia* "Bioresorbable stent technology"
Eddie Huang (senior at UT Austin) "Microporous coatings for drug delivery from bioresorbable stents"
David Lee "3D accelerometer for cardiac motion detection"
Min Yoo "Inflammatory response of bioresorbable fibers in a rat aortic wall model"

*Sarnoff Fellow following year. Paper on "Tissue Engineered" bioresorbable stent presented at American Heart Association, with honors.

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