Surgical Microscope Camera Repositioning via Virtual View
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical microscopes require users to constantly look through oculars, leading to fatigue and interrupted surgical flows due to the need to manually reposition the microscope, which can be time-consuming and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A surgical microscope system with a camera, actuator-supported positioning, and display technology that allows for rapid repositioning of the camera by zooming out, cropping images, and then moving the camera to the destination position, enabling the user to see the surgical area as if the camera has already moved, thus reducing wait time for actual camera movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the camera is repositioned by operating actuators to move the camera physically, then the camera reaches the destination position, but the process takes a considerable amount of time due to the weight of the camera and articulated joints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the camera position through image processing. When the camera needs to be repositioned, the system processes the existing image to generate a virtual view that corresponds to the destination position, allowing the user to see the surgical area as if the camera has already moved, while the physical camera movement occurs in the background
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary image processing to calculate and display the virtual camera position before the physical camera has actually reached that position. This allows the user to see the destination view in advance, eliminating the perceived wait time for camera repositioning
2Loss of time
If the camera is repositioned quickly by zooming out and cropping images, then the user sees the surgical area as if the camera has already moved, but the actual camera physical movement is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the camera and the user's view. Instead of directly showing the camera's physical position, the system uses image processing (zooming out and cropping) as an intermediary to present a virtual view that corresponds to the desired camera position, decoupling the user's perceived camera position from the actual physical camera position
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a surgical microscope includes receiving an instruction to move the camera relative to the object, operating a zoom lens to zoom out and displaying images obtained by processing images recorded by the camera such that centers of the displayed images correspond to a target position within the recorded images and such that the magnification of the object displayed in the images is the initial magnification, wherein the target position is displaced within the recorded images relative to the first position, and operating actuators to move the camera.