Development of Immersive Augmented Reality interface for Minimally Invasive Surgery

증강현실 기반의 최소침습수술용 인터페이스의 개발

This study developed a novel augmented reality interface for minimally invasive surgery. The augmented reality technique can alleviate the sensory feedback problem inherent to laparoscopic surgery. An augmented reality system merges real laparoscope image and reconstructed 3D patient model based on diagnostic medical image such as CT, MRI data. By using reconstructed 3D patient model, AR interface could express structure of patient body that is invisible outside visual field of laparoscope. Therefore, an augmented reality system improved sight information of limited laparoscope. In our augmented reality system, the laparoscopic view is located at the center of a wide-angle concave screen and reconstructed 3D patient model is displayed outside the laparoscope. By using a joystick, the laparoscopic view and the reconstructed 3D patient model view are changed concurrently. With our augmented reality system, the surgeon can see the peritoneal cavity from a wide angle of view, without having to move the laparoscope. Since the concave screen serves immersive environments, the surgeon can feel as if she is in the patient body. For these reasons, a surgeon can recognize easily depth information about inner parts of patient and position information of surgical instruments without laparoscope motion. It is possible for surgeon to manipulate surgical instruments more exact and fast. Therefore immersive augmented reality interface for minimally invasive surgery will reduce bodily, environmental load of a surgeon and increase efficiency of MIS.