Yuki Koyama

In cardiovascular medicine and surgery, an understanding of the 3-dimensional structure of the heart is crucial for successful treatment of patients with heart disease. However, the real anatomy of the heart is complicated in some structural heart diseases and it is often difficult to understand it appropriately. Therefore, we developed a new multi-touch interaction technique for better understanding of the heart structure. We also implemented a prototype system for educational and explanatory purpose. In our system, a 3-dimensional heart model is simulated as an elastic object that the user can manipulate on a multi-touch tablet computer. By using a pulling motion, the user can observe the external and internal structure of heart. We have demonstrated our prototype to medical doctors, and reviewed their comments and requests for future practice.