Development of a realistic surgery simulator that delivers high fidelity visual and haptic (force) feedback, based on the physical models of soft tissues, requires the use of empirical data on the mechanical behavior of intra-abdominal organs under the action of external forces. Measurement of mechanical properties of soft tissues on live human patients presents significant risks, making the use of cadavers a logical alternative. In this paper we present techniques of measuring and modeling the mechanical response of human cadaveric tissue for the purpose of developing a “virtual cadaver” model. The major contribution of this paper is the development of physics-based models of soft tissues that range from linear elastic models to nonlinear viscoelastic models which are efficient for application within the framework of a real time surgery simulator.

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