A virtual reality solution for evaluation of radiotherapy plans

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiotherapy Technology
• Virtual Reality Applications

Background:

• Radiotherapy (RT) treatment planning requires accurate spatial understanding of patient anatomy and dose distribution.
• Current visualization methods may limit the comprehension of complex 3D relationships.
• Improved visualization tools are needed to enhance RT plan evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel virtual reality (VR) system for evaluating radiotherapy treatment plans.
• To improve the understanding of spatial relationships between patient anatomy and calculated dose distribution.
• To facilitate clinical case review through immersive visualization.

Main Methods:

• Development of a VR system integrating interactive volume rendering for RT dose and computed tomography (CT) data.
• Implementation of surface and line rendering for RT structures like target volumes and organs at risk.
• Networked installation of the VR system in a clinical setting for daily RT conferences.

Main Results:

• The VR system enables interactive visualization of RT dose distributions and patient CT data.
• Stereoscopic viewing of treatment planning data for clinical cases is now possible.
• The system enhances the spatial understanding of complex anatomical and dosimetric relationships.

Conclusions:

• The developed VR system offers a powerful tool for radiotherapy treatment plan evaluation.
• Enhanced spatial understanding through VR visualization can potentially improve RT plan quality.
• The system's integration into clinical workflows supports collaborative review of complex RT cases.