# How to implement real-time surgical navigation by mapping Intel RealSense D405 RGB-D camera with pre-operative CT/CBCT in 3D Slicer?

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-implement-real-time-surgical-navigation-by-mapping-intel-realsense-d405-rgb-d-camera-with-pre-operative-ct-cbct-in-3d-slicer/47604>\
**Category:** Development\
**Created:** [July 13, 2026, 4:38am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-implement-real-time-surgical-navigation-by-mapping-intel-realsense-d405-rgb-d-camera-with-pre-operative-ct-cbct-in-3d-slicer/47604 "2026-07-13T04:38:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![abhijeet2410](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/abhijeet2410/32/11196_2.png) [@abhijeet2410](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/abhijeet2410)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 4:38am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/how-to-implement-real-time-surgical-navigation-by-mapping-intel-realsense-d405-rgb-d-camera-with-pre-operative-ct-cbct-in-3d-slicer/47604/1 "2026-07-13T04:38:11Z")

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Hello everyone,

Thank you for your kind attention.

We are developing a **real-time intraoral surgical navigation system** using **3D Slicer** and would appreciate guidance on the recommended workflow.

### Objective

Our goal is to overlay a **live RGB-D camera view (Intel RealSense D405)** onto a **pre-operative CT/CBCT scan** so that the live surgical scene is accurately mapped into the CT coordinate system.

The final system should provide:

- Live RGB image
- Live depth image
- Real-time point cloud
- CT/CBCT volume
- Live camera pose relative to CT
- Continuous visualization during surgery

### Current Hardware

- Intel RealSense D405

For example 🙂

We don’t have a sensor at the end of the suction tip. We want to visualize the live 2D operation view together with the CT image in 3D Slicer. Should we purchase a specific camera for this purpose, or do we need an additional sensor? If we use a sensor, the suction tip position and operation should be highlighted in both the live 2D view and the corresponding CT image. Thank you.