Philips is bringing augmented reality to surgery: Here’s how

Royal Philips, a leader in integrated image-guided therapy solutions, has developed an augmented-reality (AR) surgical navigation technology. The new technology is designed to help surgeons perform image-guided open and minimally-invasive spine surgery.

Philips has 750 hybrid operating rooms installed worldwide to assist with surgical and minimally-invasive endovascular procedures. These hybrid OR solutions paired with the new augmented-reality will help with image-guided surgery in spine, cranial and trauma procedures. The new AR surgical technology will add to the company’s low-dose X-ray system.

The new AR surgical navigation systems use high-resolution optical cameras. The cameras attach to the flat panel X-ray detector that images the surface of the patient, creating a 3D view. The AR surgical technology creates a 3D AR view of the patient’s anatomy, produced with a combination of the external view captured by the cameras and the internal, 3D view of the patient. The 3D view of the patient’s spine improves procedure planning and operation times, surgical tool navigation and implant accuracy.

“This new technology allows us to intraoperatively make a high-resolution 3D image of the patient’s spine, plan the optimal device path, and subsequently place pedicle screws using the system’s fully-automatic augmented-reality navigation,” said Dr. Skúlason of the Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland. “We can also check the overall result in 3D in the OR without the need to move the patient to a CT scanner. And all this can be done without any radiation exposure to the surgeon and with minimal dose to the patient.”

Spine surgery is traditionally an open surgery procedure where large incisions are made by surgeons to be able to see and touch a patient’s spine to be able to place implants like pedicle screws.

“This unique augmented-reality technology is an example of how we expand our capabilities with innovative solutions in growth areas such as spine, neuro and trauma surgery,” said Ronald Tabaksblat, Business Leader Image-Guided Therapy Systems at Philips. “By teaming up with clinical innovation leaders, we continue to find ways to convert open surgery to minimally-invasive treatment to reduce post-operative pain and expedite recovery.”

When placing pedicle screws, the AR technology had an overall accuracy of 85%, compared to the 64% accuracy of non-AR assisted surgical navigation.

The results of the study were published in Spine journal online.

Royal Philips
usa.philips.com

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