From @uga.cc.uga.edu:owner-virtu-l@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU Thu Nov 10 04:00:32 1994 Return-Path: <@uga.cc.uga.edu:owner-virtu-l@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU> Received: from mx5.u.washington.edu by stein2.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW94.10/UW-NDC Revision: 2.31 ) id AA29332; Thu, 10 Nov 94 04:00:32 -0800 Received: from uga.cc.uga.edu by mx5.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW94.10/UW-NDC Revision: 2.31 ) id AA29916; Thu, 10 Nov 94 04:00:30 -0800 Message-Id: <9411101200.AA29916@mx5.u.washington.edu> Received: from UGA.CC.UGA.EDU by uga.cc.uga.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with BSMTP id 2015; Thu, 10 Nov 94 06:59:32 EST Received: from UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@UGA) by UGA.CC.UGA.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 2665; Thu, 10 Nov 1994 06:59:32 -0500 Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 12:55:44 +0100 Reply-To: Philippe Van Nedervelde Sender: "VR / sci.virtual-worlds" From: Philippe Van Nedervelde Subject: HOPROS News Release Comments: To: VIRTU-L@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU To: Multiple recipients of list VIRTU-L Status: OR Poederlee/Antwerpen/Oudenaarde, 10 November 1994 The Belgian VR Foundation (Genootschap voor Virtuele Realiteit) is proud to present you with the present news release. The technology discussed, a Head Mounted Optical Projection System (HOPROS for short), was developed in the Oudenaarde (Belgium) plant of Optronic Instruments & Products (OIP), in close collaboration with Dr. Christophe Laurent, based in Antwerp. The HOPROS headset is presently produced by OIP. OIP and Dr. Laurent were brought together through the efforts in socio- professional networking of the Foundation. This is the first of Foundation- facilitated projects to bear concrete fruit in terms of the development of actual VR technology. The Foundation is pleased accordingly. We will keep you posted about future developments in both this and other projects through this list. Philippe Van Nedervelde President, Belgian VR Foundation NEWS RELEASE ADVANCED HEAD MOUNTED OPTICAL PROJECTION SYSTEM (HOPROS) FOR STEREO ENDOSCOPIC SURGERY by Christophe R. LAURENT, MD. Endoscopic surgery is continuously gaining importance in most of the surgical disciplines. That is why it is such a widely studied subject for what concerns its possibilities and limitations. In endoscopic surgery, e.g. laparoscopic surgery, the operation scene itself, where the instruments interact with the tissues, is in another 'compartment' (inside the patient) than where the hands of the surgeon direct the instruments (outside the patient). This fact is one of the factors that makes the eye-hand coordination in endo-surgery objectively and subjectively more difficult than in open surgery. This is emphasized by the length and the position of the instruments in relation to the surgeon's body and viewpoint. And not in the least, the surgeon has to orient him- or herself in an unnatural environment with only a two dimensional view. While other groups are focusing on improving the instrumentarium, we are endeavouring to improve the visual interface in endoscopic surgery by trying to present the visual data coming from inside the patient in a way which is as natural and as comprehensive as possible for the human visual system: true three dimensional depth sight. Our Head Mounted Optical Projection System, HOPROS, is a lightweight headset which contains two miniature video screens. The images generated by a stereo-endoscope are simultaneously and continuously projected through a transparent lens system (incorporating cutting edge holographic lens-coating technology) into the respective eyes, thus creating a three dimensional view of the operation scene. Unlike the canonical immersive virtual reality goggles, HOPROS allows visual contact with the operating room surroundings as the screens occupy about the same surface of the visual field than a monitor standing at the other side of the patient. This system allows a very smooth true depth sight, without causing visual stress or eye strain, unlike other systems which can create a depth "impression" by showing both left and right images alternatively on one screen, using -for example- shutter glasses. Furthermore, as we are moving towards truly interactive endoscopy, where the camera moves according to the head movements of the surgeon, HOPROS can be equipped with a Head Tracking Device to direct the camera, to achieve an optimal interface and allow the head to move to different directions and still see the full video image. It is also possible to combine one or two HOPROS headsets with a "traditional" display monitor to allow nursing personnel to follow the operation. >From an ergonomic point of view, HOPROS introduces a potential for significant lowering of present thresholds in endo-surgery, both in a subjective -personal- way as in an objective -technical- way. It is our conviction that true three dimensional vision is an important asset in the intrinsic technical difficulties of endoscopic surgery. END OF NEWS RELEASE