Digitalization versus immersion: performance and subjective evaluation of 3D perception with emulated accommodation and parallax in digital microsurgery

• Published in: Journal of biomedical optics Vol. 24; no. 10; p. 106501
• Main Authors: Wahl, Siegfried, Dragneva, Denitsa, Rifai, Katharina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers 01.10.2019; S P I E - International Society for
• Subjects: Accommodation; Aperture; Depth perception; Design; Digital technology; Digitization; Eye movements; Geometry; Microscopes; Microscopy; Microsurgery; Parallax; Perception; Performance evaluation; Software; Space perception; Surgeons; Surgery; Switzerland; Germany; digitalization; microsurgery; depth perception; stereo images
• ISSN: 1083-3668; 1560-2281; 1560-2281
• DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.24.10.106501

In the visually challenging situation of microsurgery with many altered depth cues, digitalization of surgical systems disrupts two further depth cues, namely focus and parallax. Although in purely optical surgical systems accommodation and eye movements induce expected focus and parallax changes, they become statically fixed through digitalization. Our study evaluates the impact of static focus and parallax onto performance and subjective 3D perception. Subjects reported decreased depth realism under static parallax and focus. Thus surgeons’ depth perception is impacted further through digitalization of microsurgery, increasing the potential of artificial stereo-induced fatigue.