A novel type of navigation system, using augmented reality

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K15530
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurosurgery
• Research Institution: Jichi Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Eiju 自治医科大学, 医学部, 研究員 (50150272)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 益子 敏弘 自治医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (90275701) ; 山口 崇 自治医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (20245070)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 脳外科手術 / オリエンテーション / 拡張現実 / MRI / CT / ナビゲーション手術

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although navigator is indispensable for brain surgery, there are several difficulties which hinder a smooth process in surgeries. To overcome, we developed an augmented reality-based navigation system with whole-operation-room tracking.
A tablet PC is continuously tracked by 3D tracking system(VICON). The patient’s head is captured by the back-face camera of the tablet. ３D images of intracranial structures extracted from MRI/CT and are superimposed on the video image of the head. When viewed from various directions around the head, intracranial structures are continuously displayed with corresponding angles as viewed from the camera direction, thus giving the surgeon the sensation of seeing through the head. A phantom study showed a spatial resolution of about 1 mm. The present system was evaluated in 32 patients who underwent tumor resection surgery, and we showed that the system is useful for planning skin incisions as well as craniotomy and the localization of intracranial tumors.

Free Research Field

脳神経外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ナビゲーターは脳外科手術に不可欠となっているが、手術の円滑な進行を妨げるいくつかの問題がある。外科医は、術野の外にあるＰＣモニタに目をやり、術野に合うようにＭＲＩ ／ ＣＴの方向を頭の中で回転させることが必要とされる。このような問題を克服するために、全手術室追跡機能を備えた拡張現実型ナビゲーションシステムを開発した。本システムの主な利点は、それが従来の点対点のナビゲーションとは対照的に3次元で直感的なナビゲーションが可能となった点にある。
近い将来実用化される外視鏡システムや、ヘッドマウントディスプレイなどにもそのまま応用できる大きな利点がある。