Eddie Edwards - CMIC/WEISS joint seminar series

Eddie Edwards

Title: Augmented reality in surgery - what is it actually good for?

Abstract:The idea of guiding surgery or therapy using information from other sources, usually preoperative imaging, directly visualised on the surgical view has been around for well over 30 years. Overlaying information in a way that enables the surgeon to "see" beneath the surface of the patient seems a reasonable goal. The prevalence of mixed and augmented reality (AR) on mobile devices and the advent of AR headsets such as the Hololens has led to a resurgence of interest in AR applications in many fields, including surgery. However, despite decades of research, very few systems offering such overlay solutions have made it into routine clinical use. It is important to examine why this is and to learn the lessons of the past as we begin to propose new applications of such devices in the OR.This talk will start with a brief history of AR in surgery using examples of industrial and research systems. I will argue that the paradigm of overlaying registered models on the surgical view may need to be reconsidered. I will describe some current projects within WEISS, including robotic urological surgery and Hololens applications. Our ultimate aim is to provide systems and experiments that show measurable benefit from AR, in the lab, in training and in surgical practice. I will outline our strategy to achieve this.There are a number of projects within WEISS and CMIC that fit into the category augmented reality. I would like to end with a discussion amongst AR researchers within WEISS and CMIC to see if a consistent approach to translational research in this area can be found.