Exploration of medical volume data in projective augmented reality: an interactive demonstration

Abstract

This article describes the implementation and usage of a prototype to explore medical volume data in a projective augmented reality (AR). To allow real-time rendering of the data, a volume ray casting algorithm is implemented on the GPU. Furthermore, the volume data is distorted in such a way that it is superimposed correctly from the user's perspective. To allow exploration of the dataset the user can use an HTC Vive Controller to show or hide structures with either clipping or windowing. In the future, the proposed prototype might be used for diagnosis, planning and computer assisted surgery. First tests indicate that this setup increases spatial understanding of the volume data compared to conventional computer monitors.