A Virtual Reality Environment to Visualize 3D Patient-Specific Models by a Mobile Head-Mounted Display

INTRODUCTION: With the availability of low-cost Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs), Virtual Reality Environments (VREs) are increasingly used in medicine for teaching and clinical purposes. Our aim was to develop an interactive, user-friendly VRE for tridimensional visualization of patient-specific organs, establishing a workflow to transfer 3D models from imaging datasets to our immersive VRE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This original VRE model was built using open-source software and a mobile HMD, Samsung Gear VR. For its validation, we enrolled 33 volunteers: morphologists (n=11), trainee surgeons (n=15) and expert surgeons (n=7). They tried our VRE and then filled in an original five-point Likert scale six-item questionnaire, considering the following parameters: ease of use, anatomy comprehension compared to 2D radiological imaging, explanation of anatomical variations, explanation of surgical procedures, preoperative planning and experience of gastrointestinal/neurological disorders. Results in the three groups were statistically compared using ANOVA. RESULTS: Using cross-sectional medical imaging, the developed VRE allowed to visualize a 3D patient-specific abdominal scene in one hour. Overall, the six items were evaluated positively by all groups; only anatomy comprehension was statistically significant different among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our approach, based on open-source software and mobile hardware, proved to be a valid and well-appreciated system to visualize 3D patient-specific models, paving the way for a new possible tool for teaching and preoperative planning.