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PRE-PURCHASE

What is Fundamental Surgery?

Fundamental Surgery is a medical simulation platform, that has been produced by the company FundamentalVR. Fundamental Surgery combines both virtual reality environment and haptics (sense of touch) to provide real-time feedback on individual medical procedures. The main objective of Fundamental Surgery is to provide a safe, virtual environment where surgeons or other practitioners can perform and train and develop skills. 

Is Fundamental Surgery for me?

Fundamental Surgery is for any medical professional who wants to experience, practise or explore surgical simulations in a virtual environment. The product is presently mainly focused on providing a safe learning space for residents with 2+ years’ experience.

Will VR give me motion sickness?

The short answer is no. ​

Whilst reports of motion sickness were more common in the early days of VR, great improvements in VR technology, computer graphics processing and  programming mean that occurrences of motion sickness are much less common than they used to be. In addition, motion sickness in VR is most likely to occur when there is lots of movement involved such as in fast-paced racing games. Our medical simulations by contrast involve much less movement and we have taken great care with the way there are built so the risk of experiencing motion sickness is very low. However, individuals do vary in their susceptibility to motion sickness and we advise anyone who feels unwell whilst in VR to remove the headset and take a seat until they feel better.

How does Fundamental Surgery work?

Fundamental Surgery simply delivers high value surgical simulations using VR and haptic feedback at low cost. ​

You buy a license for a year for the surgical areas of interest, then acquire your hardware and you are good to go! 

How do I purchase a Fundamental Surgery license?

Simply go to the pricing page on this site and follow the instructions from there. 

How can I try Fundamental Surgery before I buy a license?

Try it risk free. Simply sign up today and once accepted and confirmed you can enjoy a free trial period. For further information please see our pricing page. 

What is included in a Fundamental Surgery license?

The licence includes the procedures outlined within the simulation section of our site. Our Orthopedic Introductory pack includes Pedicle screw, TKA and Posterior THR. The licence is for one installation of the software. As many people as you wish can use the system, each with their own unique login. 

How many users can use one Fundamental Surgery license?

Each purchased license allows for one installation on a single PC, but with any number of students/users.

What other surgical specialities will be available on Fundamental Surgery, and when?

Following the full Orthopedic Pack 1 being available in September, Fundamental Surgery will be expanding its simulations into other medical fields including General Surgery, Neurosurgery, Urology, Cardiovascular and Laparoscopic.

Does completing Fundamental Surgery count towards my CME (Continuing Medical Education) or CPD (Continuing Professional Development)?

At present Fundamental Surgery does not provide any official qualifications towards medical education, but stay tuned!

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

What do I need to run Fundamental Surgery?

To run Fundamental Surgery you need 3 things:​

  1. A PC or laptop with compatible graphics card​
  2. A VR headset, we recommend Microsoft mixed reality, HTC Vive or Oculus Rift​
  3. Two Geomagic haptic arms.​

Once in place, you will need only to download and activate the software to be able to use the medical simulation.

Click here for more details.

Can I use my existing computer/laptop for Fundamental Surgery?

If your existing computer or laptop has a suitable processor (Intel i7 or above) and graphics card (GTX 1080 or above) then you can use it for Fundamental Surgery.

How much space do I need for a simulation set up?

Ideally you would allocate a 5ft x 5ft space to the simulation but you can use it in smaller spaces. You will need a table/desk for the equipment which should be no less than 3ft by 2ft, and at least 32″ high (this will leave enough room for all the components). You may want to adjust the height of the haptic arms, we recommend an adjustable table for ease or your can use a riser for manual adjustment.

Can I set a Fundamental Surgery simulation up myself?

Yes of course.  Please see our set up video, or download our guide to help you from the website. 

Will you provide and/or support the hardware I need?

For hardware procurement we offer a ‘Managed Service’, which includes all the equipment you’ll need, remote hardware support and optional installation services. Alternatively you can opt for the ‘Do-It-Yourself’ option which gives you the freedom to source your own equipment and build it yourself. For either option please see the Hardware page  for more details.

We do not provide a hardware support service other than that included with the ‘Managed Service’, but we do of course offer you all the support you need when it comes to the software updates, setup and anything else you may find tricky.

Do I need internet access to use Fundamental Surgery?

You will need to be connected to the internet before launching the application. This is so we can confirm your licensing agreement and to make sure your software is up to date.

Am I able to incorporate Fundamental Surgery into my institution’s Single Sign-On (SSO)?

At present Fundamental Surgery does not support Single Sign-On but rest assured it is on our roadmap of user experience improvements to make to our platform.

Does Fundamental Surgery integrate with any other surgery simulation software?

Fundamental Surgery has forward compatability with new hardware, however in terms of software simulation we are a unique offering that does not currently integrate with other software systems.

Is Fundamental Surgery available on mobile and tablet devices?

Fundamental Surgery is not currently available on mobile and tablet devices. 

POST PURCHASE

Help - I’ve lost my license key!

Please contact us via our support page, and provide us with your contact details and institution name.

How do I order my hardware?

For hardware procurement we offer a ‘Managed Service’, which includes all the equipment you’ll need, remote hardware support and optional installation services. Alternatively you can opt for the ‘Do-It-Yourself’ option which gives you the freedom to source your own equipment and build it yourself. For either option please see the Hardware page for more details 

Where do I find instructions on how to set up my hardware?

Set up instructions can be found here.

Can I use my existing computer/laptop for Fundamental Surgery?

If your existing computer or laptop has a suitable processor (Intel i7 or above) and graphics card (GTX 1080 or above) then you can use it for Fundamental Surgery. However please note that most home/office computers or laptops use lower specification components, in which case a specific PC with compatible components would be required for Fundamental Surgery.

SETUP TROUBLESHOOTING

I can’t see anything in the headset.

  • Check the connections from the headset to the PC. Ensure all plugs are well connected. Ensure the HDMI plug is connected directly to the HDMI port on the graphics card (not into the motherboard, or via an HDMI adapter).
  • Rift: Check the Rift sensors are plugged into and the Oculus app is running.
  • Vive: Check the Vive sensors are plugged in and the Steam VR app is running.
  • Windows VR: Check the Mixed Reality Portal app is running.

I can’t hear anything.

  • Check the volume settings on your PC.
  • Vive: The Vive headset requires headphones to be plugged into the headphone socket on the headset.
  • Windows VR: The Windows headset requires headphones to be plugged into the headphone socket on the headset.
  • Check the sound card settings on your PC:
    • Select the ‘Speaker’ icon in the bottom right corner of the desktop.
    • From the dialogue box that appears, click on the speaker type at the top. This will show all the sound outputs available.
    • Select the output that matches your headset.

The image in the headset is blurry.

  • Clean the lenses with a lens cloth.
  • Adjust the headset’s position so that the centre of the lenses are in the middle of your view.
  • Adjust the lens adjuster (IPD adjustment) to calibrate the position of the lens to your IPD.

The headset has not been detected.

  • Ensure the HDMI plug from the headset is plugged directly into the HDMI port in the graphics card (not into the motherboard, or via a HDMI adapter).
  • Try plugging the USB plug from the headset into an alternative USB port.
  • Vive: Check the Vive sensors are plugged in.
  • Rift/Vive: Move the headset around in front of the sensors.
  • Windows VR: Hold the headset in the center of your play-space and rotate it from left to right, and then tilt it up and down. This should re-calibrate the headset’s position.

The headset has lost its position in the operating room.

  • Press ‘Spacebar’ to re-center your position within the operating room.
  • Vive/Rift: Check nothing is blocking the path between the headset and the sensors, e.g. hands holding the side of the headset.
  • Vive: Re-run the room set up in SteamVR:
    • In the SteamVR window, click on ’SteamVR’ and select ‘Run Room Setup’. Follow the onscreen instructions.
  • Windows VR: Hold the headset in the center of your play-space and rotate it from left to right, and then tilt it up and down. This should recalibrate the headset’s position.

The Geomagic Touch controller is not visible in the setup app.

  • Check the connections from the Geomagic Touch controller to the PC and the power cable connection. Ensure all plugs are well connected.
  • In the ‘Touch Smart Setup’ app, click the ‘Rescan’ button to check for connected Geomagic Touch controllers.
  • Try plugging the USB plug from the controller into an alternative USB port in the PC.

Onscreen Geomagic Touch controller/surgical instrument is not responding to my movement of the Touch stylus.

  • Re-insert the stylus into the inkwell to recalibrate its position.
  • Check the connections from the Geomagic Touch controller to the PC and the power cable connection. Ensure all plugs are well connected.
  • Close and re-open the ‘Touch Smart Setup’ app and repeat the setup procedure.
  • Close and reopen the Fundamental Surgery app.

The Geomagic Touch controllers seem to be controlling the virtual tools on the wrong side.

Open the ‘Touch Smart Set Up’ app. Check the serial numbers on each controller (found on the bottom-side of the base of each unit). Use the controllers’ serial numbers to assign them as left and right i.e. select serial number of device on the left from the column on the left first, to assign that controller as the left hand one. Repeat for the right hand controller and ‘Save Configuration’.

I have other headset problems.

PROCEDURE GENERIC TROUBLESHOOTING

In VR I am too far away from/close to the operating table.

  • In VR, if you look at the Help button and use the laser pointer to select it, you will see an option to ‘Recalibrate’. This will re-center the operating room environment to your position. ​
  • Alternatively you can press the spacebar on your computer/laptop keyboard.

I cannot see my surgical instrument in VR.

Make sure you are holding the correct haptic controller, and gently lift it upwards toward you.

In VR, my onscreen Geomagic Touch controller/surgical instrument is not responding, or is responding erratically to my movement of the Touch stylus.

  • Insert the stylus into the inkwell of the haptic controller to recalibrate its position​.
  • Check the connections from the Geomagic Touch controller to the PC and the power cable connection. Ensure all plugs are well connected​.
  • Close and re-open the ‘Touch Smart Setup’ app and repeat the setup procedure.
  • Close and re-open the Fundamental Surgery app.

I don’t seem to be able to progress to the next step.

  • If you look at the menu screen and point your haptic controller towards it at the same time you will see a laser pointer appear. Point the laser at the option you want to select and then press the button on the haptic controller to select it.​
  • If you have not successfully passed the step you can use the ‘Skip’ button to proceed to the next step.

PROCEDURE SPECIFIC TROUBLESHOOTING

Pedicle Spine - I can’t remove the section of bone with the rongeur tool.

There is only a small section of bone that can be removed with the rongeur tool as the surgeon’s target area is also very small in real life.

Pedicle Spine - I can’t manage the pedicle awl to begin the channel in the pedicle.

The target for the pedicle awl is small and it requires precision and patience to be able to begin the channel correctly.

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