A 3D vision system for microsurgeries let's surgeons see procedures on a high-definition screen instead of having to hunch over and peer into microscopes. Some doctors call it Imax (the large concave-screen theaters) for the operating room. Images ordinarily viewed through microscopes are converted by equipment from TrueVision Systems, Santa Barbara, Calif. (truevisionsys.com) to 3D, high-definition digital images and displayed on large screens thereby transforming stereomicroscopes into more ergonomic devices. And because two or more doctors can see a surgery, it becomes more collaborative. The company says the equipment is useful for teaching and disciplines that use microscopes.

Digital imaging lets users combine 3D images from the microscope with other medical images such as surgical planning, CT, and MRI data. The setup saves and retrieves images and video for record keeping, documentation, and sharing without giving up the resolution, color, and stereo depth in the original optical image.