PORTABLE-TYPE STEREO FLUOROSCOPE FOR SURGERY

A prototype of a portable stereo fluoroscope was devised. This system has two X-ray tubes and one image intensifier. To create a three-dimen sional view, the system alternately exposes the X-ray from left and ri ght X-ray tubes 15 times per second (7.5 pairs/s) to obtain left and r ight eye images with parallax. Each image is stored in video-RAM (rand om access memory) and left and right images are alternately displayed on a monitor at 120 frames/s (60 pairs/s). A liquid crystal modulator mounted on the monitor and special polarizing glasses worn by the surg eon convey the appropriate image to the proper eye. It was applied in a simulation of interlocking intramedullary nails and fixation of femo ral neck fracture using phantom femurs. The three-dimensional view in real-time makes it easy to understand the shape of the bone phantom an d to determine the spatial relationship between it and the instruments used without moving the C-arm. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.