Interactive teaching environment for diagnostic radiography with real-time X-ray simulation and patient positioning

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Radiologic Technology
• Virtual Reality Simulation

Background:

• Undergraduate radiographer training traditionally combines academic lectures with clinical practice.
• A significant disconnection exists between theoretical knowledge and practical application in current training methods.
• Ensuring safety for both trainees and patients by avoiding radiation exposure during learning is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate novel software for diagnostic radiography education.
• To bridge the gap between theory and practice in a safe, simulated environment.
• To provide real-time interactive X-ray simulation and patient positioning training.

Main Methods:

• Development of a medical simulator with three core modules: patient positioning, X-ray simulation, and courseware.
• Utilizing a fast character animation technique for realistic patient anatomy adaptation during positioning.
• Integration of the open-source gVirtualXRay library for real-time radiograph generation.

Main Results:

• A validation study involving 18 radiology professionals was conducted.
• The software was evaluated for realism, usefulness, and suitability in teaching X-ray radiography.
• A high percentage of participants found the simulations visually realistic (72%), useful (67%), and suitable (78%).

Conclusions:

• The developed tool effectively simulates key projectional radiography procedures.
• The virtual patient posing and X-ray simulation modules operate at interactive speeds.
• This technology enables educators to demonstrate the consequences of correct and incorrect practices in a classroom setting, eliminating radiation risks.