MEDICAL OPERATION SIMULATION SYSTEM CAPABLE OF PRESENTING APPROACH DATA

A medical operation simulator includes a three-dimensional image reconstruction section, an instrument-image forming section, and an approach data presenting section. The three-dimensional image reconstructing section processes data representing slice images, thereby generating three-dimensional image data. The three-dimensional image data is supplied to a display device. The instrument-image forming section forms an image of a medical instrument. The image moves in the same way that a medical instrument provided on an operation input device is manipulated by an operator. The instrument-image forming section supplies data representing the image of the instrument to the display device. The display device displays the image of the instrument together with a three-dimensional image represented by the three-dimensional image data generated by the three-dimensional image reconstructing means. The approach data presenting section converts data showing an approach of the medical instrument toward a region of interest into at least one of an aural sensation, visual sensation, pressure sensation and touch sensation, by performing approach data presentation processing, and then presents at least one of the aural sensation, visual sensation, pressure sensation and touch sensation.