Endoscope, microscope, and neuronavigation systems are integrated in neurosurgical
procedures mainly by using a serial combination algorithm, where, the user must switch
his/her field of view from one platform display to another. The integration of theses
devices could be optimized by incorporating different displays into one viewing platform
thus achieving a parallel combination. In this study, we investigated the feasibility
and the applicability of parallel integration of microscopic, endoscopic, and neuronavigation
images by real time displaying the endoscope and neuronavigation image datasets in
the main operative microscope oculars. The proposed set-up was effective in displaying
the three images dataset in an operationally actionable mode. Ergonomically, the ability
of using the different image dataset without the need of taking the eyes off the microscope
oculars did not disrupt the flow or the tempo of the operative procedure. However,
new endoscopes specific to this application are recommended.
Keywords
endoscope - image-guided surgery - microneurosurgery - medical technology - skull
base surgery
