Insertable stereoscopic 3D surgical imaging device with pan and tilt

In this paper, we present an insertable stereoscopic 3D imaging system for minimally invasive surgery. It has been designed and developed toward the goal of single port surgery. The device is fully inserted into the body cavity and affixed to the abdominal wall. It contains pan and tilt axes to move the camera under simple and intuitive joystick control. A polarization-based stereoscopic display is used to view the images in 3D. The camera’s mechanical design is based upon a single camera prototype we have previously built. We have run calibration tests on the camera and used it to track surgical tools in 3D in real-time. We have also used it in a number of live animal tests that included surgical procedures such as appendectomy, running the bowel, suturing, and nephrectomy. The experiments suggest that the device may be easier to use than a normal laparoscope since there is no special training needed for operators. The Pan/Tilt functions provide a large imaging volume that is not restricted by the fulcrum point of a standard laparoscope. Finally, the 3-D imaging system significantly improves the visualization and depth perception of the surgeon.