Head Mount System Aligning Near-Infrared Camera with Surgeon Vision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for providing surgery support images during sentinel lymph node biopsies, such as those using smart glasses, face challenges in accurately matching near-infrared images with the surgical site due to differences in camera orientation and patient movement, leading to potential inaccuracies in cancer cell excision.
Innovation Solution
A head mount system that includes a near-infrared camera, image processing unit, and transparent optic system, allowing the near-infrared image to be projected directly onto the surgeon's line of vision, eliminating the need for visible light cameras and simplifying image processing by ensuring the camera captures and projects images in alignment with the surgeon's view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a visible light camera and near-infrared camera are used separately to capture images from different orientations, then comprehensive imaging coverage is achieved, but image matching accuracy deteriorates due to orientation differences and patient movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the visible light camera and near-infrared camera into a single integrated imaging device that captures both types of light simultaneously from the same orientation. This merging eliminates the orientation mismatch problem between separate cameras while maintaining comprehensive imaging coverage for both fluorescent lymph node detection and anatomical structure visualization.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging device is designed with multi-functionality to capture both visible light and near-infrared light using a single camera system. This universal imaging capability allows the device to perform both fluorescent imaging and anatomical imaging without requiring separate cameras, thereby ensuring consistent orientation and improving image matching accuracy.
2Ease of operation
If smart glasses with transparent display are used to show lesion images, then surgeons can view images and actual surgical site simultaneously, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the image display function from complex smart glasses and integrates it directly into the surgical imaging system. The near-infrared image is overlaid on the visible light image captured by the same device, eliminating the need for separate transparent display glasses while maintaining the capability for simultaneous viewing of fluorescent and anatomical images.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the display function with the imaging device itself. By overlaying the processed near-infrared fluorescent image directly onto the visible light anatomical image from the same camera system, the solution combines imaging and display functions into a single integrated system, reducing device complexity and manufacturing costs.
3Speed
If gyro sensors are used to detect surgeon movement for image matching, then real-time tracking is achieved, but matching accuracy deteriorates due to inability to reflect patient movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the imaging device continuously captures images from the surgeon's actual line of sight, and the system automatically adjusts and overlays the fluorescent image based on the real-time captured anatomical image. This feedback loop ensures that both surgeon movement and patient movement are automatically compensated, maintaining high matching accuracy without requiring separate motion tracking sensors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables real-time visualization of metastasized cancer cells during surgery, simplifies image processing, reduces manufacturing costs, and provides a stereoscopic view without the complexity of dual-camera systems, enhancing surgical accuracy and reducing patient complications.
Implementation Method 1
transmitting visible light to enable a user to see a user's front
Implementation Method 2
reflecting the near-infrared light coming from the user's front to the near-infrared camera
Implementation Method 3
a near-infrared camera installed on the head mount body and capturing near-infrared light
Implementation Method 4
reflecting the near-infrared image projected from the near-infrared image projection unit to the user's eyes
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a head mount system for providing a surgery support image, the system including: a head mount body wearable on a user's head; a near-infrared camera installed on the head mount body and capturing near-infrared light; a near-infrared image projection unit installed on the head mount body and projecting a near-infrared image; a near-infrared image processing unit receiving a captured image taken by the near-infrared camera, generating the near-infrared image, and transmitting the near-infrared image to the near-infrared image projection unit; and a transparent optic system installed on the head mount body to be positioned in front of user's eyes when the head mount body is worn on the user's head, transmitting visible light to enable a user to see a user's front, reflecting the near-infrared light coming from the user's front to the near-infrared camera to allow the near-infrared camera to capture the near-infrared light.