Surgeons can operate with much greater precision using the Anatomy Projector. The device was developed at Radboudumc in Nijmegen and is based on augmented reality technology. This enables doctors, for example, to project blood vessels during an operation, allowing them to perform procedures with even greater precision.
Surgeons sometimes have to carry out operations on a microscopic scale. This can make it difficult for the surgeon to interpret medical information from a screen and apply it to the patient. Dr Stefan Hummelink devised a solution to this problem. As a student of Medical Engineering, he carried out his final-year research at Radboudumc in the Department of Plastic Surgery. During that period – we’re talking about 2012 – he built a prototype in his shed for what is now the Anatomy Projector.
Use in breast surgery
Whilst augmented reality was still in its infancy at the time, the device has since been further developed into a format comparable to a thick tablet. At RadboudUMC, they make use of Hummelink’s innovation on a weekly basis. The Anatomy Projector is used during breast surgery carried out there.
Hummelink: “The principle of projected augmented reality was groundbreaking at the time, and we were able to patent it. During breast reconstruction, a so-called free flap is harvested. Skin and fat, supplied by a blood vessel, are reattached to the breast under the microscope. It is vital to preserve the supplying blood vessels; otherwise, the operation will fail.”
Projecting blood vessels without AR glasses
This Health & High-Tech innovation makes it possible to show exactly where these blood vessels are located on the skin. The device can also display a patient’s lymph nodes. These vary from patient to patient. This information is extracted from a CT scan, on the basis of which a 3D plan is created. The patient is then marked on the skin, and during the operation the 3D plan is superimposed onto the body. “This provides additional information to the plastic surgeon and the team working alongside them,” explains Hummelink.
Even when the projector moves, the images remain correctly aligned with the patient. This enables the plastic surgeon to work more effectively and efficiently. Another advantage is that the surgeon does not need AR glasses and that everyone in the operating theatre can view the projection. In 2017, Hummelink received funding under the NWO’s Demonstrator programme to further develop the projector.
Potential of Anatomy Projector
The Anatomy Projector was recently selected for the NWO Venture Challenge. This initiative provides support to start-up entrepreneurs to help them bring their product or service to market. A business case will be drawn up shortly, and the product will be presented to potential investors. Hummelink hopes that a company will emerge to further develop the product and ultimately bring it to market. For his part, he would like to continue devising solutions for healthcare from within a teaching hospital. “That’s where you can see exactly what challenges doctors face and where healthcare can be further improved.”
At present, the Anatomy Projector is used exclusively for breast reconstruction. According to Hummelink, however, the technology has much greater potential. “As well as blood vessels, muscles, tendons or nerves, you can also project other information onto the body.” However, this also requires further research, which is very costly. “I also hope that the Venture Challenge, which we’ll be launching shortly, will be a success, and that interested investors or companies will come forward. After all, projections in the operating theatre are the future!”
Source: Innovation Origins
