MEASUREMENT OF THE IMPROVEMENT IN ABILITY LAPAROSCOPY USING A VIRTUAL SIMULATOR Bricelis Urbina bricelis@opalo.ciens.ucv.ve Ernesto Coto ecoto@opalo.ciens.ucv.ve José Manuel Motezuma jmmotezuma@gmail.com Marvi Martinez marvi.martinez@gmail.com Miguel Cerrolaza mcerrola@reacciun.ve Omaira Rodríguez omaira@opalo.ciens.ucv.ve Computer Graphics Lab, Faculty of Sciences. Central University of Venezuela Abstract. Laparoscopic surgery is a surgical technique which demands surgeon visuospatial and motor skills that seldom are exercised. The surgical instruments handling and laparoscopic camera navigation are complicated tasks in small spaces such as the abdominal cavity, where the visualized image is magnified and the size of the instruments reduces the skill, eliminates the tactile sensation and reduces kinesthetic force feedback to the surgeon. In addition, the surgeon must interpret a 3D space from images transmitted by video to a 2D monitor. LAPAROS is a developed tool thanks to the multidisciplinary work of the Computer Graphics Laboratory, the Bioengineering Center and the Experimental Surgery Institute at the Central University of Venezuela. This system for laparoscopic surgery training presents a dual platform: mechanical and virtual simulator. The mechanical simulator SIMULAP v.1 has been developed bearing in mind design aspects resembling to the human torso. The virtual simulator provides three training levels: basic, average and advanced, each one focused to develop specific abilities and skills in the surgeons. In this work we present the measurement of the effectiveness of the basic level of our system in the laparoscopic training process. The tests were applied to a group of seven expert surgeons in laparoscopy and to eleven medicine students without any knowledge in the area. These tests consisted in the accomplishment of seven training sessions in the virtual simulator and one in the mechanical simulator. The results were obtained through careful measurement of the movement precision, ability in handling of instruments and speed of execution of the exercises proposed in the mechanical simulator. Keywords: Laparoscopy, Simulation, Virtual Reality, Surgical Training, Tests.