Tiered Surgical Display Control for Concealed Structure Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical imaging systems often fail to recognize and convey concealed structures, physical contours, and dimensions within a three-dimensional space, and are limited in communicating certain information to clinicians during surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A surgical hub that receives images from laparoscopic scopes and surgical instruments, generating visualization data for primary and secondary displays based on various visualization control modes, including contactless control and augmented reality, using parameters like memory, bandwidth, and user preferences to optimize display capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If surgical imaging systems use standard imaging methods, then the system structure remains simple, but the ability to recognize and convey concealed structures and three-dimensional information is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple imaging modalities (2D imaging, 3D imaging, augmented reality overlays, and haptic feedback) into a unified surgical imaging system. The surgical hub integrates data from various sources including laparoscopic cameras, 3D scanners, and augmented reality processors to create a comprehensive visualization system that reveals concealed structures while maintaining manageable system complexity through centralized control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D imaging to multi-dimensional visualization by incorporating 3D spatial information, augmented reality overlays, and haptic feedback dimensions. The system generates three-dimensional representations of concealed anatomical structures and overlays them onto the surgical field view, enabling clinicians to perceive depth, volume, and spatial relationships that are invisible in conventional 2D images.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the surgical hub generates separate visualization data for multiple displays, then display capabilities and information customization are improved, but data processing complexity and bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments visualization data generation into hierarchical levels: a core visualization dataset is generated once, then selectively distributed to different displays based on their specific capabilities and requirements. The primary display receives comprehensive 3D and augmented reality data, while secondary displays receive optimized subsets of this data tailored to their function (e.g., simplified 2D views for remote monitoring, specific parameter overlays for assistant surgeons). This segmentation reduces redundant processing while maintaining display-specific customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The surgical hub implements a universal visualization data format that can be adaptively rendered for multiple display types and configurations. The system generates core visualization data in a standardized multi-dimensional format that can be selectively projected onto different display surfaces including traditional monitors, augmented reality headsets, and haptic feedback devices, allowing one data source to serve multiple functions without requiring separate processing pipelines for each display type.
3Ease of operation
If the system uses advanced visualization modes like augmented reality and contactless control, then user interaction and situational awareness are enhanced, but power consumption and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic resource allocation for visualization modes based on real-time surgical context and device capabilities. The system automatically adjusts the computational intensity of augmented reality processing and contactless control algorithms according to the current surgical phase, available power capacity, and connected display capabilities. During critical surgical moments, the system prioritizes essential visualization functions and reduces non-critical processing, enabling advanced features to be activated only when computational resources are available and clinically beneficial.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical hub may be configured to receive an image from a laparoscopic scope and surgical information from at least one surgical instrument. The surgical hub may be operatively connected to multiple displays such as a primary display and a secondary display. The surgical hub may generate visualization data for the primary display. The surgical hub may obtain a visualization control mode based on a visualization control parameter and may determine whether to generate a different set of visualization data for a secondary display based on the visualization control mode. When the visualization control mode supports multiple display capabilities, the surgical hub may generate the visualization data specifically for the secondary display. When the visualization control mode does not support multiple display capabilities, the surgical hub may send the same the visualization data for display at the secondary display as the primary display.