CPS: Small: Virtually Transparent Epidermal Imagery
Lead PI:
Yu Sun
Co-Pi:
Abstract
The objective of this research is to develop a cyber-physical system capable of displaying the in vivo surgical area directly onto patients' skin in real-time high definition. This system will give surgeons an x-ray vision experience, since they see directly through the skin, and remove a spatial bottleneck and additional scarring caused by laparoscopes in minimally invasive surgery. The approach is to develop micro-cameras that: occupy no space required by surgical tools, produce no additional scarring to the patient, and transfer wireless high-definition video images. A virtual view generating system will project the panoramic videos from all cameras to the right spot on the patient?s body with geometry and color distortion compensation. A surgeon-camera-interaction system will be investigated to allow surgeons to control viewpoint with gesture recognition and finger tracking. Novel techniques will be developed for zero-latency high-definition wireless video transfer through the in vivo/ex vivo medium. Image viewpoint alignment and distortion compensation in real time will also be investigated. The results will be a potential paradigm shift in minimally invasive surgery. The proposed work benefits the millions of surgeries capable of being performed through a single incision in the abdomen by providing virtually transparent skin to surgeons who will enjoy all the visual benefits of open-cavity surgery without all the associated risks to the patient. The goals of this research are extremely hands-on and immediately applicable to outreach activities that can excite youth, minority students, and others about the science, medicine a and engineering careers.
Yu Sun

I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of South Florida. I was a Postdoctoral Associate at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL), Cambridge, MA from Dec. 2007 to May 2008 and a Postdoctoral Associate in the School of Computing at the University of Utah from May 2008 to May 2009. I received my B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China, in 1997 and 2000, respectively, and Ph.D. degree in computer science from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, in 2007. 

My research interests include robotics, haptics, computer vision, human computer interaction (HCI), and medical applications.

Performance Period: 09/15/2010 - 08/31/2015
Institution: University of South Florida
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Award Number: 1035594