  Image Overlay: System
The user views the patient through a beam splitter (a half-silvered mirror) which is both transparent and reflective. Positioned above the beam-splitter is a display device (flat panel display or video projector). The user sees the patient directly through the beam-splitter, plus a reflection of the video display which appears to float within the workspace. A pair of liquid crystal shutter glasses are worn allowing the user to view stereo images. A six degree of freedom head tracking system is integrated with the overlay device allowing the user to change the view point while maintaining the correct view.
The current prototype system is being redesigned as a smaller and more mobile system for use in an operating room. The smaller system will be easier to move in and out of the surgical field allowing easy access to the patient. The system is also being designed for use in Interventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (IMRI) systems. An IMRI scanner combined with image overlay will allow a surgeon to view medical images in near real-time with a simultaneous unobstructed view of the patient.
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