Preoperative planning in neurosurgery requires careful analysis of brain structures on MRI images to map out pathways that avoid critical areas, such as blood vessels, and safely reach the target, such as a tumor. These planned pathways guide the surgeon during the actual procedure, making thorough preoperative preparation essential for achieving safe outcomes.
Anna’s PhD project, performed in a collaboration between the CUAS and the Medical University of Vienna, aims to enhance this planning process. By connecting a custom 3D Slicer module with an off-the-shelf head-mounted display (HMD), an Augmented Reality (AR) component is added to support traditional desktop planning. This integrated system is designed to give medical experts an improved ability to visualize and interact with 3D brain models, adding depth and spatial context to support effective surgical preparation.
To address the specific needs of AR-assisted planning, Anna developed a custom module within 3D Slicer that enables the desktop-to-AR connection and provides specialized tools for neurosurgical planning. These include proximity indicators for critical structures, graphs and statistics relevant to the planned trajectory, and options for both local and global model exploration, offering a range of ways to evaluate the surgical path. Different tissue layers, including vessels, brain tissue, neural fiber tracks, and bone, can be displayed as necessary.
The AR view on the HMD acts as a companion to the desktop setup, allowing experts to examine the 3D brain model in a spatial context beyond the 2D screen. In AR, users can explore critical areas up close, interact with the planned pathway from multiple perspectives, and perform additional local exploration and manipulation. This AR integration enhances the planning experience by adding an immersive dimension and spatial interaction, while the connected desktop interface can be used simultaneously, extending state-of-the-art neurosurgical planning workflows.
With the development of a major milestone nearing completion, the next step is to gather feedback from medical experts to evaluate the tool’s usability and potential effectiveness. This combined neurosurgical planning system with custom visualization and AR extension is expected to offer valuable support in surgical planning beyond a traditional setup, giving experts new ways to explore and refine their approach.
Yours,
MedTech @ FH Kärnten Team
