Multimodal mixed reality visualisation for intraoperative surgical guidance.

Area of Science:

• Medical technology
• Surgical navigation
• Mixed Reality (MR)

Background:

• Mixed reality (MR) integration into operating rooms aims to enhance intraoperative surgical assistance.
• Current progress in applying MR for surgical guidance remains in early developmental stages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a novel mixed reality (MR) visualization platform for intraoperative surgical guidance.
• The platform integrates multiple imaging modalities for enhanced surgical visualization.

Main Methods:

• Development of an MR visualization platform for Microsoft HoloLens, featuring 3D organ models, volumetric data, and intraoperative imaging.
• Implementation of interactive functionalities like data scrolling and transparency adjustment.
• A pilot user study involving surgeons to assess platform usability and gather feedback.

Main Results:

• The 3D organ model was identified as the most popular visualization component.
• Neurosurgery emerged as the most relevant surgical specialty for the platform.
• A majority of surgeons found the platform intuitive and expressed willingness to use it for intraoperative guidance, particularly in vascular neurosurgery.

Conclusions:

• The pilot study confirmed the potential and usability of the proposed MR visualization platform in operating rooms.
• Future work will focus on incorporating surgeon feedback and conducting extensive evaluations with a larger cohort.