Surgical Video ROI Display for Ergonomic 3D Viewing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical microscopy and endoscopic procedures are limited by fixed optical channels, leading to ergonomic issues, reduced flexibility, and increased complexity and risk due to the lack of digital means and sensors, which restrict the ability of surgeons and support staff to move freely and view the operation effectively.
Innovation Solution
A digital system that integrates data from surgical visualization instruments, including microscopes and medical imaging, using high-resolution cameras and head/eye trackers to provide 3D imaging and real-time ROI selection, allowing for ergonomic detachment from fixed instruments and enhanced situational awareness through dual-display head-mounted devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a classic optical microscope with direct light rays channels is used, then optical resolution is maintained, but the user's head must be fixed to the microscope for prolonged periods causing neck pains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses digital cameras to capture optical images and displays them on head-mounted displays, creating a digital copy of the optical microscope's field of view. This allows the surgeon to view the surgical site without maintaining a fixed position at the microscope, eliminating neck strain while preserving optical resolution through high-quality digital capture and display
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical optical viewing system with a digital imaging and display system. Instead of directly viewing through optical channels requiring fixed head position, the system uses cameras to capture images and HMDs to display them, substituting mechanical optical paths with electronic imaging components that provide freedom of movement
2Adaptability or versatility
If endoscopic video is projected on large fixed monitors, then the video can be viewed by multiple staff members, but the lead surgeon and staff must view with heads fixed to the monitor direction reducing flexibility and increasing surgery complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the viewing experience into individual head-mounted displays for each user rather than a single shared monitor. Each surgeon and staff member receives their own video feed on their HMD, allowing simultaneous independent viewing without requiring fixed head positions or large shared displays
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a fixed spatial viewing arrangement (large monitor in the operating room) to a portable dimension (head-mounted displays that move with the users). This dimensional shift allows staff to move freely while maintaining video viewing capability, eliminating the need for fixed monitor viewing positions
3Adaptability or versatility
If digital cameras and sensors are integrated into the surgical system, then digital domain advantages and flexibility are provided, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates digital cameras, head trackers, eye trackers, and HMDs into a unified surgical visualization system that serves multiple functions: capturing surgical views, tracking head and eye movements for ROI selection, providing 3D imaging, and enabling flexible viewing. This multi-functional integration manages system complexity by combining components into a coordinated system rather than separate systems
Data Source
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Figure 2B
AI summary
A system for video capturing and displaying of surgeries, is provided herein. The system may include: at least one digital image sensor optically coupled to one or more lenses and configured to capture a video sequence of a scene in a surgery; at least one interface configured to receive at least one region on interest (ROI) of the captured video sequence; an electronic display, selected so that at least one of the digital image sensors has a pixel resolution which is substantially greater than the pixel resolution of the electronic display; and a computer processor configured to: receive the at least one captured video sequence and the at least one received ROI and display over the at least one electronic display a portion of the captured video sequence based on the at least one selected ROI.