Mixed reality versatile platform for intraoperative navigation of craniomaxillofacial plastic surgery

In the field of craniomaxillofacial plastic surgery intraoperative navigation, existing systems often lack effective visual integration of multi-source information–such as real-time visualization of surgical instruments and warnings for hazardous areas–limiting their applicability primarily to pre-clinical research settings. Fully leveraging the potential of Mixed Reality (MR) and Augmented Reality (AR) is crucial to addressing these limitations. This paper proposes an innovative approach through the development of a specialized mixed reality versatile platform. By integrating a preoperative planning and navigation system with a customized occlusal guide and a novel registration method, the platform is designed to improve intraoperative navigation in the complex context of craniomaxillofacial surgery. A series of phantom and cadaver experiments were conducted to rigorously evaluate the system’s feasibility and effectiveness. The experimental results demonstrate that, through modular core and expansion components, the platform can be flexibly adapted to meet the navigation needs of various surgical procedures, enabling more precise and intuitive guidance with the potential to significantly enhance surgical workflows and patient outcomes in this specialized domain.