ProjectDR (system of projection of the MRT-picture)

2018: Demonstration

In January, 2018 the University of Alberta (Canada) announced the beginning of tests of a new system of projection of the MRT-picture for a body of the patient called by ProjectDR. For the first time it was provided in November, 2017 on a symposium on the software and Virtual Reality technologies in Gothenburg (Sweden).

The ProjectDR system allows to display the images received at a computer tomography or MRT, directly on the patient's body. At the same time at the movement of the patient the image moves together with it.

Example of work of ProjectDR

We wanted to create a system which would show to clinical physicians internal anatomy of the patient, - the graduate student Ian Watts who developed ProjectDR together with Michael Fiest explained.

The new device includes the system of tracking of the movement using infrared cameras and markers on the patient's body and also a projector for display of images. The most difficult task was to provide the correct display of the MRT-picture on the patient's body at his movement. The software which integrates all components became the solution.

This technology can be applied in many areas, including to teaching, in the field of physical therapy, laparoscopic surgery and even surgical planning", - Watts told.

ProjectDR can also submit the segmented images - for example, only lungs or only blood vessels - depending on what interests the doctor at present.

At the moment Watts works on improvement of automatic calibration of a system and adding of new components among which there are, for example, depth sensors. Check of viability of the program in clinical conditions should become the next step, professor of department of information technologies Pierre Boulanger explained.

Soon we will unroll ProjectDR in laboratory of surgical modeling to check advantages and shortcomings of a system of real clinical conditions, - Bulanzher told.

The command working on the project believes that soon after carrying out tests a system can be implemented to these operating rooms.^[1]

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