In contrast to the consumer market, the development for head-mounted-display applications for medical use is slowly reaching an acceptable level of technical practicability. We will probably see the first devices in operating theatres soon, although there are still many problems to overcome such as usability, implementation in the workflow, clinical restricitions or acurate tracking methods. While projects like narvis (Siemens, TUM, LMU) still stated in 2007 that „die derzeitige HMD-Technik aufgrund von Gewicht und mangels Tragekomfort nicht durchgehend während einer OP getragen werden kann“, this concept study by Kilian Kreiser from 2010 shows a usecase of how pre-operative data can be implemented in the surgery process. Kilian’s „Augmented Intervention Assistant (AIA) is a head-mounted display-based system designed to simplify image-guided surgery processes and provide intelligent support during operations. The AIA combines pre-operational images with the position tracking of instruments, the operating field, and the surgeon to augment the physician’s field of view with virtual information. Surgeons thus gain access to information during operations that had not been available to them in this form up to now. During operations, a built-in augmented reality interface provides additional information such as patient anatomy, position of tumour tissues, pre-operational planning, and other relevant data, allowing the surgeon to precisely mark out tumour tissues or critical areas.“ Check also the project’s website for more details. (Image credits: Kilian Kreiser in Kooperation mit Pilotfish München)