Movable Head-Mounted Stereoscopic Display for Surgical Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical vision systems, such as surgical light microscopes and digital stereo microscopes, face challenges in providing a distortion-free, magnified stereoscopic view that allows for comfortable and efficient visualization during long procedures, often requiring surgeons and assistants to maintain uncomfortable positions and struggle with moving the display out of their line of sight without compromising hand-eye coordination.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, high-resolution head-mounted stereoscopic display system that allows for rapid movement in and out of the user's line of sight, using dual cameras for real-time video capture and processing, and a movable headband mechanism for manual or electromechanical control, enabling hands-free operation and maintaining a sterile field.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed head-mounted display is used, then the stereoscopic view is stable and distortion-free, but the user cannot rapidly move the display in and out of line of sight without compromising hand-eye coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The display is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be dynamically positioned in and out of the user's line of sight. The head-mounted display includes a movable display element that can be rapidly repositioned, enabling the user to access the display without losing hand-eye coordination or requiring manual intervention.
2Ease of operation
If the surgical microscope head is positioned for optimal surgeon viewing, then the surgeon has the best visualization, but the assistant has a sub-optimal view due to opposing view constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The viewing system is segmented into multiple independent head-mounted displays, one for the surgeon and one for the assistant. Each user wears their own display device, allowing independent positioning and optimization of viewing angles for each user simultaneously, eliminating the conflict over microscope head positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The head-mounted display acts as an intermediary between the surgical field and the user's eyes. Instead of both users viewing through the same microscope eyepieces, each user receives a stereoscopic feed through their own display device, allowing simultaneous optimal viewing without physical constraint conflicts.
3Reliability
If the user maintains a fixed head position to view through stereoscopic eyepieces, then the stereoscopic image is proper, but the user experiences fatigue and suboptimal performance during prolonged procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The display moves with the user's head rather than requiring the head to remain fixed. The head-mounted display tracks or follows head movements, allowing the user to move their head freely while maintaining proper stereoscopic alignment and image quality, thereby reducing fatigue during prolonged procedures.
4Ease of operation
If the display is positioned close to the surgical field for access, then hand access is facilitated, but the user loses the ability to simultaneously visualize the magnified surgical field
Solution Approach 1:
The display is positioned in a different spatial dimension relative to the surgical field - on the user's head rather than in the surgical field space. This allows the display to be accessed without interfering with hand access to the surgical field, and the user can simultaneously view both the display and the surgical field through the head-mounted stereoscopic visualization.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical stereoscopic visualization system having a microscope head, dual cameras mounted on or proximate the microscope head for real time video capture of a subject in an operative field, a video processing and display system to receive separate video streams from the cameras and to combine the separate video streams into a time-aligned stereoscopic image. The processed image is displayed on a matrix display screen in at least one movable head-mounted stereoscopic display. Movement of the head mounted display is accomplished with a support structure on a headband that accurately positions the display screen in front of the user's eyes, yet allows the user to precisely move the display screen either manually or by motorized means into and out of the user's line of sight, thereby facilitating uninterrupted use of the hands while working in the surgical suite.