Derivation of a Virtual Laser Spot Point Using a 3D Measuring Device and a Stereo Endoscope

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to derive a virtual point corresponding to the laser spot point in the previous research and to control the forceps robot without using the real laser pointer by using the optical three-dimensional measuring device Polaris and a stereo endoscope. First of all, we virtually reproduced the state where markers were attached to the surgical instrument by attaching the Polaris markers to the forceps robot followed by performing a coordinate transformation. We then derived the virtual laser spot point by drawing a half straight line extending the tip of the surgical instrument to organ direction on the endoscopic left and right images obtained from the stereo endoscope, followed by searching for a point where the virtual disparity on the half straight line coincides with the actual disparity from the stereo endoscope from the tip of the instrument toward the organ surface.