Applications of Augmented Reality in the Operating Room

Most surgical procedures and therapeutic interventions have been traditionally performed by gaining direct access to the internal anatomy, using direct visual inspection to deliver therapy and treat the conditions. In the meantime, a wide variety of medical imaging modalities have been employed to diagnose the condition, plan the procedure and monitor the patient during the intervention; nevertheless, the tissue manipulation and delivery of therapy has been performed under rather invasive incisions that permit direct visualization of the surgical site and ample access inside the body cavity. Over the past several decades, significant efforts have been dedicated to minimizing invasiveness associated with surgical interventions, most of which have been possible thanks to the developments in medical imaging, surgical navigation, visualization and display technologies.