Augmented Reality Assisted Neurosurgery

Abstract

Real-time tracking of neurosurgery and visualization with Augmented Reality (AR) help achieving minimal invasiveness, also maximize safety. Brain anatomy is often difficult to visualize when surgery is confined, and Neurosurgeons' do not have the entire brain exposed before them. Currently, very few AR systems are being used in the clinical environment, and there is no evidence of AR system combined with real-time tracking that has been implemented. Commercially available neurosurgery navigation systems only provide 2D image guidance, which requires the surgeons to mentally visualize the 3D structure of the brain, at the same time, control the surgical field instruments while looking at an external display. A realtime 3D view of brain anatomy can help surgeons to visualize better. With the immersive AR technology, a computer-generated 3D brain anatomical model can be overlaid onto the surgeon’s vision simultaneously with the view of the surgical field. In this project, an augmented reality 3D brain anatomy based on patientspecified MRI is developed to demonstrate the natural interactions of the surgeons and indicate the surgical procedure in real-time using simulation. Tracking simulation in an AR-based platform is a novel approach compare with the currently available 2D image guide display, which would provide 6 DoF and, subsequently, better visualization. Tracking simulation of surgery procedure in an AR model is the building block to develop advanced computer-assisted surgery; also, this can be heavily used in surgery training.