A Preliminary Report of the Virtual Craniofacial Center: Development of Internet-/Intranet-Based Care Coordination of Pediatric Craniofacial Patients

Abstract

The authors present preliminary information regarding the development of an Internet-based Virtual Craniofacial Center that provides access to a patient database with visual and textual data. Patients are photographed by digital camera with standardized images. Through a Web site linked to a remote database, patient demographics, management data, reports, and acquired digital photographic images are stored and retrieved. The database can be used to sort and to present data as desired by multiple specialists. Confidentiality is maintained by unique identification numbers and password access to the server for craniofacial team members. The current system uses economical equipment (i.e., digital camera, personal computer with modem, and access to a remote Windows NT-based server), using data that can be entered in a variety of cross-platform personal computer systems and transmitted on a wide range of bandwidths-from a relatively low-bandwidth (28.8 KB per second) modem to a high-speed T-3 line connection. Long-term goals include archival data storage and analysis, as well as the development of multicenter telemedicine links for active craniofacial centers.

Haptic feedback improves surgeons’ user experience and fracture reduction in facial trauma simulation

“…These virtual surgical tools can be used to simulate bone cutting, to remove and move bone segments, and to allow limited prediction of soft tissue changes [9]. Using threedimensional (3-D) anatomical information of traumatic craniofacial injuries from diagnostic computed tomography (CT) imaging, an accurate virtual model of an individual patient can be reconstructed and used for CAS simulation in various applications, including treatment planning, procedure rehearsal, education, and biomechanical loading and stress distribution simulation [10]. These CAS programs enable various treatment alternatives to be simulated and transferred into the operating room using CT-based surgical navigation [11].…”