The full-color 3D visualization method shows potential to enhance augmented and virtual reality experiences.

Scientists have created a method to produce full-color 3D holographic images using smartphone screens instead of lasers. This innovative technique, with further advances, has the potential for augmented or virtual reality displays.

Whether augmented reality or virtual reality displays are used for gaming, education, or other applications, incorporating 3D displays can create a more realistic and interactive user experience.

“Although holography techniques can create a very realistic 3D representation of objects, traditional approaches are not practical because they rely on laser sources,” said research team leader Ryoichi Horisaki of the Univ. from Tokyo to Japan. “Lasers emit coherent light that is easy to control, but make the system complex, expensive and potentially harmful to the eyes.”

In Optica Publishing Group magazine Optics letters, the researchers describe their new method, which is based on computer-generated holography (CGH). Thanks to a new algorithm they developed, they were able to use just an iPhone and an optical component called a spatial light modulator to reproduce a 3D color image that consisted of two holographic layers.

“We believe this method could be useful for minimizing optics, reducing costs, and decreasing potential eye damage in future visual interfaces and 3D display applications,” said Otoya Shigematsu, first author of the paper. “More specifically, it has the potential to improve the performance of near-eye displays, such as those used in high-end virtual reality headsets.”

A more practical approach

Although CGH uses algorithms to produce images, coherent light from a laser is usually required to display these holographic images. In a previous study, the researchers showed that spatially incoherent light emitted by a white-chip light-emitting diode could be used for CGH. However, this setup required two spatial light modulators (devices that control the wavefronts of light), which is impractical due to their expense.

In the new study, the researchers developed a less expensive and more practical incoherent CGH method. “This work aligns with our lab’s focus on computational imaging, a research field dedicated to the innovation of optical imaging systems by integrating optics with information science,” said Horisaki. “We focus on minimizing optical components and eliminating impractical requirements in conventional optical systems.”

The new approach passes light from the screen through a spatial light modulator, which presents multiple layers of a full-color 3D image. While this may sound simple, it required carefully modeling the process of incoherent light propagation from the display and then using that information to develop a new algorithm that coordinated the light coming from the device’s display with a single light modulator spatial

Holographic images from a smartphone

“Holographic displays using low-coherence light could enable realistic 3D displays while reducing costs and complexity,” Shigematsu said. “While several groups, including ours, have demonstrated holographic displays with low-coherence light, we took this concept to the extreme using a smartphone display.”

To demonstrate the new method, the researchers created a two-layer optical reproduction of a full-color 3D image by displaying a holographic layer on an iPhone 14 Pro screen and a second layer on a spatial light modulator. The resulting image measured a few millimeters on each side.

Researchers are now working to improve the technology so it can display larger 3D images with more layers. Additional layers would make images appear more realistic by improving spatial resolution and allowing objects to appear at various depths or different distances from the viewer.

Reference: “Computer Generated Holography with Normal Display” by Ryoichi Horisaki, Otoya Shigematsu, and Makoto Naruse, 14 Apr 2024, Optics letters.
DOI: doi:10.1364/OL.516005

The future of surgery is at hand.

The first augmented reality (AR) abdominal surgery was performed on March 11 in Santiago, Chile by Dr. Alberto Rodríguez.

A surgeon as well as the CEO of Levita Magnetics, a medical equipment manufacturer in Silicon Valley, Rodriguez helped develop a system that uses AR technology to enable less invasive surgery with a wider view for the surgical team.

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Through the lens of the Metas Quest 3 XR headset and the Levitas MARS system, Rodriguez was able to successfully perform a cholecystectomy, also known as gallbladder removal surgery.

By developing the technology, Levita Magnetics aimed to address the limitations surgeons face, Rodriguez told Fox News Digital in an interview.

“That’s why we decided to start the company, to create better tools for surgeons,” he said.

The FDA-approved MARS system, which combines “machines and magnets,” is currently available in the U.S. and Chile, Rodriguez said.

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“This is a platform that allows the surgeon to do surgery in a better way,” he said.

“I had the surgery and I can tell you it’s a better way.”

“With magnets, the number of incisions for the patient is reduced. This means less pain, less scarring. [and] a better recovery.”

He added: “The machine allows you to control the tools, so you can see better and be in control.”

Levita developed the AR component as an accessory to the MARS system to enhance visualization.

“You have more immersion in the surgery, so you’re more focused on what you’re doing,” Rodriguez said, comparing it to “moving forward with surgery.”

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Any new AR headset can be linked to the MARS software, according to a press release.

Rodríguez plans to conduct a clinical trial on the benefits of AR surgery, focusing on ergonomics and precision.

“I had the surgery and I can tell you it’s a better way,” he said.

“So we want to have more data to back up those early impressions.”

After the surgery, the patient made a full recovery within two weeks, the surgeon reported.

It opens up a new world

As artificial intelligence continues to expand in the healthcare space, Rodriguez projected that having enhanced “digital vision” through AR will help provide patient imaging and analysis.

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“It opens up a whole new world of how the surgeon can access [data] in real time during surgery,” he told Fox News Digital.

“Other surgeons anywhere in the world can see what you’re doing, see the patient on the operating table and give you advice.”

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He added: “It’s going to be a revolution in how surgeries are done, and I’m really excited [about] how technology is empowering surgeons to do more.”

Dr. Harvey Castro, an ER physician and expert on artificial intelligence in health care, told Fox News Digital that Rodriguez’s method “marks a fundamental evolution in medical technology,” but he also urged caution.

He was not involved in the new surgery or process.

“This innovative approach improves surgical precision and patient care, but introduces significant changes and challenges that require careful consideration,” he said.

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Castro listed multiple advantages of using AR in surgical procedures, including immersive visualization, minimally invasive techniques, improved patient outcomes and collaboration in the medical field.

Reliance on this type of technology, however, could make surgeons dependent on AR, “potentially decreasing their confidence and competence to perform surgeries without technological assistance,” Castro said.

“Ensuring the reliability of AR systems is crucial,” he continued. “Protocols should be established to revert to traditional methods if AR technologies fail.”

Castro also mentioned that AR systems can be “susceptible to malfunctions and failures, interrupting surgeries and posing risks to patient safety.”

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“Current AR headsets can have issues with field of view, resolution and comfort, especially during long surgeries,” he said.

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Castro noted that “proper management, careful planning and continuous evaluation will be essential to ensure that the benefits of AR technology outweigh the costs and challenges, ultimately improving patient outcomes and advancing surgical practices.”

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