Technique for optical guidance during a surgical procedure
Optical guidance is provided during a surgical procedure. Data indicative of an anatomical structure in relation to a surgical procedure is received. An overlay image of the anatomical structure is generated from the received data. A background structure serving as a background for the generated overlay image of the anatomical structure is determined. The generated overlay image of the anatomical structure is blended by a depth enhancement algorithm relative to the determined background structure. The blended image of the anatomical structure is overlaid on the determined background structure.
1 . A computer-implemented method for providing an overlayed image, comprising the method steps of:
receiving data indicative of an anatomical structure;
generating an overlay image of the anatomical structure from the received data;
determining a background structure serving as a background for the overlay image of the anatomical structure;
blending the overlay image of the anatomical structure by a depth enhancement model relative to the background structure to generate a blended overlay image, wherein the blending comprises a color tinting of the overlay image and not the background structure, wherein the color tinting comprises a coloring relative to a predetermined value depending on the background structure; and
overlaying the blended overlay image of the anatomical structure on the background structure.
2 . The computer implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the blending comprises blending with a depth modulated opacity.
3 . The computer implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the overlay image is configured to provide optical guidance in a surgical procedure, and the received data is indicative of the anatomical structure relative to a surgical procedure.
4 . The computer implemented method according to claim 3 , wherein the background structure is selected from a group consisting of: image data acquired in a pre-operative scan, and live image data acquired during the surgical procedure.
5 . The computer implemented method according to claim 3 , wherein the surgical procedure comprises an open surgery, and wherein the background structure comprises a part of a body on which the surgical procedure is performed.
6 . The computer implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the blending comprises a fading of the overlay according to a depth relative to the background structure, wherein a degree of fading corresponds to the depth within the background structure.
7 . The computer implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein a depth perception is obtained by a signed distance field, SDF, Monte Carlo path tracing, and/or a ray tracing acceleration structure.
8 . The computer implemented method according to claim 7 , wherein a data structure for the depth perception comprises a bounding volume hierarchy, BVH, and/or a K-dimensional tree.
9 . The computer implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein overlaying the blended overlay image comprises rendering the blended overlay image using a video stream on a display.
10 . The computer implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the overlay image of the anatomical structure comprises generating the overlay image by primitives.
11 . The computer implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the blending further comprises generating a glyph indicative of an extent and/or a depth of at least part of the anatomical structure, wherein the glyph comprises at least one of:
a number of superimposed contours;
a distance line and/or an extruded contour, wherein a tip of the distance line and/or of the extruded contour denotes a position of the at least part of the anatomical structure; or
a numerical depth indication.
12 . The computer implemented method according to claim 11 , wherein the glyph comprises the number of superposed contours, and wherein an intensity of the blending is varied so that at least one of the intensity, a line thickness, and/or a length and/or a distance of dashes or dots, of the contour is increased for the contour nearest to an observer and the intensity, the line thickness, and/or the length and/or the distance of dashes or dots, of the contour is diminished for the contour farthest from the observer.
13 . The computer implemented method according to claim 1 , wherein the overlaying comprises prioritizing a surgical device over the blended overlay image, wherein prioritizing the surgical device comprises the surgical device occluding the anatomical structure when the depth of the anatomical structure lies below the surgical device.
14 . A system for providing optical guidance, the system comprising:
an interface configured to receive data indicative of an anatomical structure; and a renderer configured to:
generate an overlay image of the anatomical structure from the received data;
determine a background structure serving as a background for the generated overlay image of the anatomical structure;
blend the generated overlay image of the anatomical structure by a depth enhancement model relative to the background structure to generate a blended image, wherein the renderer is configured to blend by a color tinting of the overlay image and not the background structure, wherein the color tinting comprises a coloring relative to a predetermined value depending on the background structure; and
overlay the blended image of the anatomical structure on the background structure.
15 . The system of claim 14 wherein the renderer is further configured to blend as a fade of the generated overlay according to a depth relative to the background structure, wherein a degree of fading corresponds to the depth within the background structure.
16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which instructions are stored that can be read and executed by a server to provide optical guidance, the instructions comprising:
generation of an overlay image of the anatomical structure from the received data;
determination of a background structure serving as a background for the generated overlay image of the anatomical structure;
blend the generated overlay image of the anatomical structure by a depth enhancement model relative to the background structure to generate a blended image, wherein the renderer is configured to blend by a color tinting of the overlay image and not the background structure, wherein the color tinting comprises a coloring relative to a predetermined value depending on the background structure; and
overlay of the blended image of the anatomical structure on the background structure.