Surgical navigation system allows surgeons to get a precise guidance to a target region of surgical procedure and to recognize anatomical information of surgical field in 3D and in real-time. However it is difficult to recognize distance information between a surgical tools and organs inside patient body instantly in navigation window. We are developing a novel navigation method with “Distance Sensation” using correlation of distance map generated around organs and surgical tools. Experimental results shows that the navigation system with “distance sensation” reduces total working time of treatment procedure and working volume around target/dangerous region. Therefore, this module can make the surgeon’s procedure more smooth and safer.

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Endoscopic surgery is difficult surgery because of the lack of depth feeling. Therefore, in this research, we develop the distance measurement system using a stereo rigid endoscope to compensate for the endoscope surgery disadvantage. This system enables to decrease intra-operative accidents in endoscopic surgery. The stereo rigid endoscope has two cameras at the tip. Therefore this system measures the distance between the object and the endoscope using a stereo matching algorithm and a triangulation. The position of distance measurement in endoscope image is the center pixel of endoscope image, one left side pixel from center and one right side pixel. Evaluation experiments showed that the measurement range was from 15 to 55 mm, the linearity was from ±1.9 to ±11.9% of F.S., the accuracy was from ±0.50 to 0.58 mm and measurement frequency was 10.9 Hz. A future works are evaluation of an optimum stereo matching window in vivo and evaluation of availability.

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