Easy-to-Use Augmented Reality Neuronavigation Using a Wireless Tablet PC
Weiwei Deng, Fang Li, Manning Wang, Zhijian Song · Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery · 2013
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Augmented reality (AR) technology solves the problem of view switching in traditional image-guided neurosurgery systems by integrating computer-generated objects into the actual scene. However, the state-of-the-art AR solution using head-mounted displays has not been widely accepted in clinical applications because it causes some inconvenience for the surgeon during surgery. METHODS: In this paper, we present a Tablet-AR system that transmits navigation information to a movable tablet PC via a wireless local area network and overlays this information on the tablet screen, which simultaneously displays the actual scene captured by its back-facing camera. With this system, the surgeon can directly observe the intracranial anatomical structure of the patient with the overlaid virtual projection images to guide the surgery. RESULTS: The alignment errors in the skull specimen study and clinical experiment were 4.6 pixels (approx. 1.6 mm) and 6 pixels (approx. 2.1 mm), respectively. The system was also used for navigation in 2 actual clinical cases of neurosurgery, which demonstrated its feasibility in a clinical application. CONCLUSIONS: The easy-to-use Tablet-AR system presented in this study is accurate and feasible in clinical applications and has the potential to become a routine device in AR neuronavigation.