Implementation and evaluation of an augmented reality system supporting minimal invasive interventions

Minimal invasive surgery and interventions promise a number of advantages for the patient. The biggest one is a reduced trauma for the patient, at the cost of a limited view for the physician. The project MEDARPA offers Augmented Reality (AR) technology to enhance the real view of the surgeon with pre-operatively acquired medical data from 3D imaging modalities. During the last three years, a group of clinical, medical engineering and research partners has designed and implemented a prototype of an AR-enhanced navigation support system for minimal invasive interventions. It comprises of a transparent display device 'AR window', a hybrid tracking system, navigation support and a volume rendering system for medical 3D images. The system has been designed for a variety of medical applications. For the proof of concept cardiosurgery, radio oncology and pneumology scenarios have been considered. This paper gives an overview of the system design and its evaluation.