Doctors use augmented reality to see inside patients’ skin without a scalpel

A new technology, called ProjectDR, allows clinicians to observe patients’ internal anatomy without the need for them to go under the knife. It allows medical imaging such as computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) information to be shown directly on a patient’s body in a way that moves as the patient does.

• The technology makes use of a motion-tracking system utilizing infra-red cameras and markers on the patient’s body, as well as a projector to show the images gathered.
• It can display segmented images, for instance, only the lungs or only the blood vessels, depending on what the physician or doctor is interested in seeing the patient’s anatomy.
• The inventors of the technology are working on calibrating ProjectDR to upgrade its automatic calibration and to put in extra components such as depth sensors.
• The next phase of the technology is to be tested in a clinical setting.

The project was initially presented in November 2017 at the Virtual Reality Software and Symposium in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Journal Reference:

University of Alberta. AUGMENTED REALITY SYSTEM LETS DOCTORS SEE UNDER PATIENTS’ SKIN WITHOUT THE SCALPEL: NEW TECHNOLOGY LETS CLINICIANS SEE PATIENTS’ INTERNAL ANATOMY DISPLAYED RIGHT ON THE BODY. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 January 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180124172408.htm>.