1. Design and evaluation of an AR-based thermal imaging system for planning reconstructive surgeries.
- Author
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Unger M, Hänel A, Chalopin C, and Halama D
- Abstract
Introduction: Thermal imaging can be used for the non-invasive detection of blood vessels of the skin. However, mapping the results to the patient currently lacks user-friendliness. Augmented reality may provide a useful tool to superimpose thermal information on the patient., Methods: A system to support planning in reconstructive surgery using a thermal camera was designed. The obtained information was superimposed on the physical object using a Microsoft HoloLens. An RGB, depth, and thermal camera were combined to capture a scene of different modalities and reconstruct a virtual scene in real time. To register the different cameras and the AR device, an active calibration target was developed and evaluated. A Vuforia marker was used to register the hologram in the virtual space. The accuracy of the projected hologram was evaluated in a laboratory setting with participants by measuring the error between the physical object and the hologram., Results: The AR-based system was evaluated by 21 participants in a laboratory setting. The mean projection error is 10.3 ± 9.4 mm. The system is able to stream a three-dimensional scene with augmented thermal information in real time at 5 frames per second. The active calibration target can be used independently of the environment., Conclusion: The calibration target provides an easy-to-use method for the registration of cameras capturing the visible to long-infrared spectral range. The inside-out tracking of the HoloLens in combination with a Vuforia marker is not accurate enough for the intended clinical use., (© 2024. CARS.)
- Published
- 2024
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