Augmented Virtual Reality Surgical Training with Realistic X-ray Simulation

Value Proposition

• Integration of virtual reality (VR) technology into improving hands-on experience in surgical training.
• Provides more immersive training, completed with more realistic simulation of X-ray image guidance for complex procedures.
• Differentiates surgical residency programs and adds value for trainees.

Unmet Need

• X-ray guided surgical training takes place in hospitals across the United States with surgical residency programs in orthopedics, interventional radiology, and angiology, among others. However, existing simulations of these procedures in VR either use static, previously acquired images or dynamically generated non-realistic simulations of X-ray images. Current methods are not always collaborative, and thus do not enable trainees to get immediate feedback on actions carried out in simulation and limit their realism. This limits a surgical trainee’s experience, affecting clinical outcomes, quality, and efficiency later on. Thus, there exists a strong need for developing a more realistic, immersive simulation of X-ray guided procedures using VR that will lead to better outcomes for patients and clinician engagement.

Technology Description

• Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed a technology that allows virtual reality (VR) headsets to incorporate computationally demanding, physically realistic X-ray simulation into surgical training applications. The invention generates digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) on a cloud-based server, which are then streamed to the headset for display. This allows for a much higher level of realism in the X-ray images for training surgical residents to carry out X-ray guided procedures. Ultimately, this development improves breadth and depth of surgical training, ultimately improving patient outcomes and clinician engagement.

Stage of Development

• A prototype has been developed.
• Current efforts focus on documenting and standardizing code databases to improve robustness for commercialization.

Data Availability

• Data available upon request.

 Publication

Killeen, Benjamin D et al. “Stand in surgeon's shoes: virtual reality cross-training to enhance teamwork in surgery.” International journal of computer assisted radiology and surgery vol. 19,6 (2024): 1213-1222. doi:10.1007/s11548-024-03138-7