Optical Head-Mounted Display Alignment for Implant Surgery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Surgeons face challenges in hand-eye coordination during surgical procedures due to the difference in view coordinate systems between the surgical field and external computer monitors, making it difficult to accurately register patient anatomy with virtual surgical data.

Innovation Solution

The use of optical head-mounted displays (OHMDs) for simultaneous visualization of live patient data and digital representations, aligning virtual surgical guides with live data in a common coordinate system, allowing surgeons to see both simultaneously.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If external computer monitors are used to display virtual surgical data, then virtual surgical guides can be visualized, but hand-eye coordination deteriorates due to coordinate system mismatch between monitor and surgical field

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevirtual surgical data visibilityVSAvoidhand-eye coordination

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an optical head-mounted display (OHMD) as an intermediary device between the surgeon and the virtual surgical data. The OHMD captures live video feed from the surgical field and overlays virtual surgical guides directly onto the surgeon's view of the patient's anatomy, eliminating the coordinate system mismatch problem that occurs with external monitors. This allows the surgeon to see both the physical surgical field and virtual guidance information in the same visual frame of reference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the live video feed from the surgical field with the virtual surgical guide data into a single composite visual display. The OHMD combines these two separate information streams (physical view and digital overlay) into one unified visualization that the surgeon views through the headset, allowing simultaneous observation of both real and virtual elements without switching between separate displays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Manufacturing precision

If OHMD is used to display virtual surgical guides overlaid on live data, then alignment accuracy improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment accuracyVSAvoidOHMD system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The OHMD system performs multiple functions within a single device: it captures live video feed from the surgical field, processes and registers virtual surgical guide data, overlays the virtual guides onto the live video in real-time, and displays the composite image to the surgeon. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate devices for each task while maintaining high alignment accuracy through integrated processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical alignment methods with optical and computational approaches. Instead of using physical alignment tools and manual coordinate transformations, the system uses computer vision algorithms to automatically register virtual guides with live surgical footage, and uses optical display technology to present the aligned information to the surgeon, thereby reducing mechanical complexity while improving precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12472000B2Augmented reality system for monitoring size and laterality of physical implants during surgery and for billing and invoicing

Publication Date: 2025.11.18 LANG PHILIPP K

AI summary

Devices and methods for performing a surgical step or surgical procedure with visual guidance using an optical head mounted display are disclosed.