Purpose: We propose a combined floating autostereoscopic three-dimensional (3D) display approach for telesurgical visualization, which could reproduce live surgical scene in a realistic and intuitive manner.
Methods: A polyhedron-shaped 3D display device is developed for spatially floating autostereoscopic 3D image. Integral videography (IV) technique is adopted to generate real-time 3D images. Combined two-dimensional (2D) and 3D displays are presented floatingly around the center of the display device through reflection of semitransparent mirrors. Intra-operative surgery information is fused and updated in the 3D display, so that telesurgical visualization could be enhanced remotely.
Results: The experimental results showed that our approach can achieve a combined floating autostereoscopic display that presents 2D and 3D fusion images. The glasses-free IV 3D display has full parallax and can be observed by multiple persons from surrounding areas at the same time. Furthermore, real-time surgical scene could be presented and updated in a realistic and intuitive visualization platform. It is shown that the proposed method is feasible for facilitating telesurgical visualization.
Conclusion: The proposed floating autostereoscopic display device presents surgical information in an efficient form, so as to enhance operative cooperation and efficiency during operation. Combined presentation of imaging information is promising for medical applications.
Keywords: Autostereoscopic display; Combined display; Floating display; Integral videography; Telesurgery.