This report presents an overview about the existing literature relating to prostate cancer, prostate biopsy, and simulation of ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. Special attention has been paid to the generation of ultrasound images from CT or MRI data, haptic rendering, and soft tissue deformation for visual and tactile feedback. Literature has been researched about different approaches to the synthesis of ultrasound images, ranging from physics-based simulation of ultrasound wave propagation to the one-di­men­sio­nal approximation as ``ultrasound rays'' and the efficient application of well-known algorithms from the field of computer graphics. Also, techniques for providing haptic feedback to the user and the simulation of soft tissue deformation have been surveyed. An additional section is dedicated to patents in the fields of ultrasound simulation from either 3-D ultrasound, geometrical models, or CT resp.\ MRI data, as well as haptic rendering and the use of graphics hardware for medial simulation.     «

This report presents an overview about the existing literature relating to prostate cancer, prostate biopsy, and simulation of ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. Special attention has been paid to the generation of ultrasound images from CT or MRI data, haptic rendering, and soft tissue deformation for visual and tactile feedback. Literature has been researched about different approaches to the synthesis of ultrasound images, ranging from physics-based simulation of ultrasound wave propagatio...     »