Trainee surgeons will soon be practicing operations from the comfort of their sofas after a study found they performed better after playing games on the Nintendo Wii. US researchers are designing software that will allow doctors to carry out simulated surgery using the console's novel control system. The motion sensors in the wireless "Wiimote", a controller the size and shape of a television remote control, allow game players to direct on-screen action by waving it about and pointing it at the screen.
Dr Kanav Kohel and Dr Marshall Smith, of the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Centre in Phoenix, Arizona, are developing a programme that uses this function to help trainees practice the specific physical movements involved in surgical procedures. They believe the software could help surgeons improve their skills by practicing at home, and play an important role in the medical education in the developing world where there is less access to expensive virtual training tools.
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