Simplifying the Exploration of Volumetric Images: Development of a 3D User Interface for the Radiologist’s Workplace

Abstract

Volumetric imaging (computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging) provides increased diagnostic detail but is associated with the problem of navigation through large amounts of data. In an attempt to overcome this problem, a novel 3D navigation tool has been designed and developed that is based on an alternative input device. A 3D mouse allows for simultaneous definition of position and orientation of orthogonal or oblique multiplanar reformatted images or slabs, which are presented within a virtual 3D scene together with the volume-rendered data set and additionally as 2D images. Slabs are visualized with maximum intensity projection, average intensity projection, or standard volume rendering technique. A prototype has been implemented based on PC technology that has been tested by several radiologists. It has shown to be easily understandable and usable after a very short learning phase. Our solution may help to fully exploit the diagnostic potential of volumetric imaging by allowing for a more efficient reading process compared to currently deployed solutions based on conventional mouse and keyboard.

virtX – Evaluation of a Computer-based Training System for Mobile C-arm Systems in Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery

“…The VRG is built upon 'virtusMED' (virtual scenes for medical education and diagnostics), a system that allows for a new kind of interactive visualization of volumetric medical images [18,19] usable for education or diagnosis [20]. Based on CT and MRI data sets in DICOM [21] format as well as on data from the Visible Human Project [22] virtusMED creates a virtual patient that can be explored in real-time by an ultrasound-like probe, a head-mounted display and/or a freely movable flat panel.…”

Evaluating Interaction Techniques for Stack Mode Viewing

“…In an earlier work 14 , we showed that radiologists and laypersons had similar interaction performance when expert knowledge was not required, so we hypothesized that we could use naïve laypersons to evaluate different image navigation techniques, with results that would generalize to radiologists performing clinical tasks. For example, we had observed a lot of forward and backward scrolling during a radiology look-alike task with naïve students as subjects 9 and backward and forward scrolling in stack mode by radiologists has been similarly noted by others [11][12][13] . As a final, tertiary, issue, we were interested whether a group of naïve students would have similar performance and preferences to radiologists for the three techniques.…”

“…Although many of the storage and display hurdles of digital radiology have been met, many humancomputer interaction problems remain [7][8][9] . Some recent work has addressed these problems by making the presentation of the data more nearly 3D.…”

Understanding Spatial Relationships in US: A Computer-based Training Tool That Utilizes Inexpensive Off-the-Shelf Game Controllers

“…Instead, the image can be repositioned or reoriented by pressing a certain button on the controller, comparable to the user interaction of moving a window on a computer's desktop. For this approach, ideas are being adopted from previous work that made use of a customized 2D-3D mouse (37).…”