A client-server framework for 3D remote visualization of radiotherapy treatment space.

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Radiation Oncology
• Computer Science

Background:

• Radiotherapy requires precise patient positioning for effective cancer treatment.
• Access to expert consultation for patient positioning is limited in rural or developing areas.
• This limitation can delay or compromise treatment quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a framework enabling remote experts to virtually collaborate in real-time within the 3D radiotherapy treatment room.
• To address the challenges of limited expert availability in patient positioning.
• To enhance the quality and accessibility of radiation therapy globally.

Main Methods:

• A multi-3D camera system acquired the 3D treatment space.
• A client-server architecture facilitated real-time visualization of the 3D treatment room.
• Server-side processing offloaded computational tasks, utilizing multi-GPU systems for stereo rendering and H.264 encoding for streaming.

Main Results:

• Remote experts could visualize the treatment space in real-time.
• High-speed networks (gigabit Ethernet) achieved approximately 81 frames per second at 1280x960 resolution.
• Lower bandwidth networks (100 Mbps) provided 8-40 frames per second, demonstrating feasibility across different network conditions.

Conclusions:

• The framework enables remote, real-time stereoscopic patient setup visualization.
• This technology can expand high-quality radiation therapy access to challenging environments.
• It facilitates expert consultation, improving patient positioning accuracy and treatment outcomes.