  Image Overlay: Medical
Enhancement of surgical environments with image overlay has been proposed for use in neurosurgery, orthopaedics, microsurgery, obstetrics, plastic surgery and other specialties. In these applications, the physician can view medical images or computer generated graphics overlaid on and registered with the patient. For example, in neurosurgery a rendering of a brain tumor can be displayed inside the patient's head during surgery, providing localization and guidance to a surgeon.Telemedicine applications are a second use for image overlay. These systems create a sense of telepresence where the physician can experience what is occurring at a remote site. Using an image overlay system, a central expert can direct remote medical personnel by displaying 3D graphics to guide the remote personnel through a procedure. Application areas for telemedicine include: battlefield trauma care, expert consultations, rural healthcare delivery, disaster relief, and assistance to developing countries.
3D image overlay capabilities can be used in place of, or to complement, telerobotic systems. Several research groups have proposed systems in which a surgeon can remotely guide a telerobot to perform a surgical procedure. We are targeting similar agplications, but propose using the expert to guide medical personnel (instead of a robot) at the remote site. The potential advantages of this approach are numerous and include: safety, greater system flexibility, lower costs, and better acceptance by the medical establishment. Even if telerobots were used clinically, human assistants at the remote site would certainly be needed. An image overlay system can be used to help guide these personnel.
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