Ocular Stethoscope: Auditory Support for Retinal Membrane Peeling

Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/Report › Conference contribution › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

Abstract

The peeling of an epiretinal membrane (ERM) is a complex procedure wherein a membrane, only a few micrometers thick, that develops on the retinal surface is delicately removed using microsurgical forceps. Insights regarding small gaps between the ERM and the retinal tissue are valuable for surgical decision-making, particularly in determining a suitable location to initiate the peeling. Depth-resolved imaging of the retina provided by intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography (iOCT) enables visualization of this gap and supports decision-making. The common presentation of iOCT images during surgery in juxtaposition with the microscope view however requires surgeons to move their gaze from the surgical site, affecting proprioception and cognitive load. In this work, we introduce an alternative method utilizing auditory feedback as a sensory channel, designed to intuitively enhance the perception of ERM elevations. Our approach establishes an unsupervised innovative mapping between real-time OCT A-scans and the parameters of an acoustic model. This acoustic model conveys the physical characteristics of tissue structure through distinctive sound textures, at microtemporal resolution. Our experiments show that even subtle ERM elevations can be sonified. Expert clinician feedback confirms the impact of our method and an initial user study with 15 participants demonstrates the potential to perceive the gap between the ERM and the retinal tissue exclusively through auditory cues.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMedical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention – MICCAI 2024
EditorsMarius George Linguraru, Qi Dou, Aasa Feragen, Stamatia Giannarou, Ben Glocker, Karim Lekadir, Julia A. Schnabel
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media B.V.
Pages433-443
Number of pages11
ISBN (electronic)978-3-031-72089-5
ISBN (print)978-3-031-72088-8
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - Oct 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

Publication series

SeriesLecture Notes in Computer Science
Volume15006 LNCS
ISSN0302-9743

Conference

Title27th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention
Abbreviated titleMICCAI 2024
Conference number27
Duration6 - 10 October 2024
Website
LocationPalmeraie Rotana Resort
CityMarrakesh
CountryMorocco

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-6540-5891/work/227514177

Keywords

Keywords

  • Auditory Feedback, Augmented Reality, Interaction Design, Mixed Reality, Optical Coherence Tomography, Sonification