Medical Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

Abstract

Augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality is used in many fields, including medicine, education, manufacturing, and entertainment. With technical advances in optics, computer systems, and surgical instruments, AR applications to medicine are being vigorously researched. In particular, as surgeries using laparoscopy, endoscopy, or catheterized intervention have increased, AR plays an important role in many medical applications. AR is defined as a technique to combine the real world and virtual objects, which are digital content artificially generated by a computer. As another aspect of AR is the registration between the real world and virtual objects, it aims at an accurate estimation of the three-dimensional (3D) position and orientation of virtual objects related to the real world. Essentially, AR can allow users to see 3D virtual objects superimposed upon the real world. With the help of AR, a surgeon can view invisible organs during the surgery and improve the accuracy and safety of treatment procedures. After a brief description of the technical issues of medical AR, its applications will be introduced in this article.

Keywords

• computer-assisted surgery
• image-guided surgery
• virtual reality