SPIE Journal Paper | 8 October 2024
Xander Jacquemyn, Kobe Bamps, Ruben Moermans, Christophe Dubois, Filip Rega, Peter Verbrugghe, Barbara Weyn, Steven Dymarkowski, Werner Budts, Alexander Van De Bruaene
KEYWORDS: Virtual reality, Mixed reality, Biomedical applications, Augmented reality, 3D modeling, Computed tomography, Heart, Autoregressive models, Anatomy, Image segmentation
PurposeVirtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have led to significant advancements in cardiac preoperative planning, shaping the world in profound ways. A noticeable gap exists in the availability of a comprehensive multi-user, multi-device mixed reality application that can be used in a multidisciplinary team meeting.ApproachA multi-user, multi-device mixed reality application was developed, supporting AR and VR implementations. Technical validation involved a standardized testing protocol and comparison of AR and VR measurements regarding absolute error and time. Preclinical validation engaged experts in interventional cardiology, evaluating the clinical applicability prior to clinical validation. Clinical validation included patient-specific measurements for five patients in VR compared with standard computed tomography (CT) for preoperative planning. Questionnaires were used at all stages for subjective evaluation.ResultsTechnical validation, including 106 size measurements, demonstrated an absolute median error of 0.69 mm (0.25 to 1.18 mm) compared with ground truth. The time to complete the entire task was 892±407 s on average, with VR measurements being faster than AR (804±483 versus 957±257 s, P=0.045). On clinical validation of five preoperative patients, there was no statistically significant difference between paired CT and VR measurements (0.58 [95% CI, −1.58 to 2.74], P=0.586). Questionnaires showcased unanimous agreement on the user-friendly nature, effectiveness, and clinical value.ConclusionsThe mixed reality application, validated through technical, preclinical, and clinical assessments, demonstrates precision and user-friendliness. Further research of our application is needed to validate the generalizability and impact on patient outcomes.
