Mixed reality using binocular smart glasses for surgical navigation
Tomoki Itamiya · Japanese Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery · 2019
In surgical navigation, to accurately know the position of a surgical instrument in a patient’s body is very important. Using transparent smart glasses is very useful for surgical navigation because a surgeon does not need to move his/her line of sight from the operative field. We propose a new application software development method that is able to show a stereoscopic vision of highly precise 3D-CG medical models and surgical instruments using transparent smart glasses for surgical navigation. We used Mixed Reality (MR) which is a concept exceeding Augmented Reality (AR) by using Microsoft® HoloLensTM. In the operation room, the 3D-CG medical model made from patient’s CT/MRI image data is superimposed on the actual patient position. Since the positional relationship between the 3D-CG medical model and surgical instruments is clear, so it is very useful for surgical navigation. Multiple persons can see one 3D-CG medical model at the same time using multiple HoloLensTM. A user can make the application software within only 10 minutes by preparing 3D-CG medical model file. Therefore, surgeon dentists and clinical staff can make the content easily by themselves. As a result, the method can be utilized daily for routine medical treatment and education.