Surgical navigation systems based on augmented reality technologies

TL;DR

This paper reviews augmented reality-based surgical navigation systems that enhance visualization during operations, reduce invasiveness, and have potential applications in telemedicine, based on systems developed at a Russian university.

Contribution

It introduces novel AR-based surgical navigation solutions, including visualization for various surgeries and ultrasound, demonstrating their potential to improve surgical accuracy and telemedicine.

Findings

Reduced invasiveness of surgeries

Enhanced visualization of internal structures

Potential for telemedicine applications

Abstract

This study considers modern surgical navigation systems based on augmented reality technologies. Augmented reality glasses are used to construct holograms of the patient's organs from MRI and CT data, subsequently transmitted to the glasses. This, in addition to seeing the actual patient, the surgeon gains visualization inside the patient's body (bones, soft tissues, blood vessels, etc.). The solutions developed at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University allow reducing the invasiveness of the procedure and preserving healthy tissues. This also improves the navigation process, making it easier to estimate the location and size of the tumor to be removed. We describe the application of developed systems to different types of surgical operations (removal of a malignant brain tumor, removal of a cyst of the cervical spine). We consider the specifics of novel navigation systems designed for anesthesia, for endoscopic operations. Furthermore, we discuss the construction of novel visualization systems for ultrasound machines. Our findings indicate that the technologies proposed show potential for telemedicine.