Augmented Reality Surgical Navigation System With Real-Time Carotid Artery Distance Calculation And Tissue Visualization In Endoscopic Endonasal Surgeries Using The Microsoft HoloLens

The intricate nature of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgeries, where surgeons reach the brain through the nasal cavity and sinuses, necessitates precise navigation to avoid inadvertent encounters with the delicate carotid arteries, which can precipitate severe neurological consequences. This is why an innovative system that combines imaging modalities with a distance calculation algorithm is being built to solve this critical problem. The program enables real-time visualization of the surgical field, allowing surgeons to have sight of the patient’s critical tissues and organs through a camera embedded in their instruments, coupled with a continuous assessment of the range and separation between the surgeon’s instruments and the carotid arteries. The interface is designed to issue immediate warnings when the calculated distance approaches or breaches a predetermined safety threshold, thus equipping surgeons with invaluable, instantaneous feedback. The surgeons wear the Microsoft HoloLens, an augmented reality headset that allows them to see holograms displaying the distance and their surroundings. Furthermore, a custom convolutional neural network (CNN) was developed to extract intraluminal carotid artery models reliably from standard preoperative scans. By mimicking human visual processing, the algorithm achieves segmentation accuracy at around 91%. Patient-specific models then become projected holographically onto the operative scene through the Microsoft HoloLens. This comprehensive program enables tremendous change in the medical field, causing surgeries to be accomplished quickly and significantly improving the mortality rate.