Modeling friction, intrinsic curvature, and rotation of guide wires for simulation of minimally invasive vascular interventions.

Obtaining the expertise to perform minimally invasive vascular interventions requires thorough training. In this paper, an algorithm for simulating minimally invasive vascular interventions for training purposes is presented and evaluated. The algorithm enables the simulation of completely straight guide wires as well as intrinsically curved ones based on applied translations and rotations. Friction between the guide wire and the vasculature is incorporated in the model. Quantitative validation is performed by comparing the simulated guide-wire position with the actual position as assessed by 3-D rotational X-ray imaging in physical experiments on a variety of vascular phantoms that truthfully represent human anatomy. The results show that for proper settings of the model's parameters, accurate simulations of guide-wire motion can be obtained, with an average precision of the guide-wire position of around 1.0 mm.