Development of a Virtual Da Vinci Xi Training Simulator for Robotic In-Utero Open Spina Bifida Repair - Preliminary Results

Open spina bifida (OSB) is a spinal defect seen in developing fetuses. An in-utero approach to repair has improved outcomes and reduced risk of comorbidities in both mother and baby [1]. To minimize the invasive impact, surgeons are investigating an in-utero robotic ap- proach which presents the need for a simulator to enable surgeon training and planning. Currently surgeons are trained by a combination of existing clinical simulator with generic environment and physical phantom testing. The contributions of this paper are: 1. An open-source dynamic simulator of the Da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgical System 2. A realistic virtual model of OSB 3. A novel integrated fetal robotics surgical simulator that allows surgeons to practice a simulated OSB repair.