Model-based surgery simulation and intraoperational guidance

The transfer of the result of the surgical planning and simulation performed on an individual anatomical, CT based model onto the operation field is accomplished by fusing a live video image of the situs and a video image of the planning model, recorded rom the same relative camera location towards the anatomical structure. The surgeon can replicate the previously done simulation by guiding instruments like scalpels, bone saws, drills etc. along the markings left in the model. The visual superposition of the real and the synthetic world offers the surgeon an intuitively usable, tight link between the simulation stage and the real surgery. Osteotomy lines, the location of repositioned bone segments, implant positions and other relevant information are easily transferred in a non- invasive, non-tactile manner, thus reducing the risk of infection by reducing the count of foreign matter objects like templates, calipers, etc. brought into the situs.