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.

The researchers asked eight surgical residents to play games on a Wii for an hour before their performed virtual surgery using a training tool called ProMIS, which simulates a patient's body in 3D and tracks the surgeon's movements as they operate. Those who warmed up using the console scored 48 per cent better for tool control and performance than those who did not.