Augmented reality surgical technique guidance

An augmented reality device for use during a surgical procedure comprising:

• an augmented reality display, the augmented reality display including a head-mounted display lens allowing aspects of a surrounding environment to be visible while projecting light on the head-mounted display lens to make virtual elements visible to a wearer of the augmented reality display, the augmented reality display to:
• present, within a surgical field while permitting the surgical field to be viewed through the augmented reality display, a virtual indication on the augmented reality display identifying a location of a physical surgical instrument among a plurality of surgical instruments present within the surgical field to be retrieved for use during a step within a surgical procedure, wherein the virtual indication is continuously maintained in a set position relative to and spatially registered with the location of the physical surgical instrument;
• a processor to:
• determine whether the physical surgical instrument within the surgical field has been moved;
• and
• cause the virtual indication to be removed from the augmented reality display in response to determining that the physical surgical instrument has been moved and determining that the physical surgical instrument remains visible within in the field of view of the augmented reality display.