Abstract
Patients undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) often experience anxiety and sometimes distress prior to and during scanning. Here a full MRI compatible virtual reality (VR) system is described and tested with the aim of creating a radically different experience. Potential benefits could accrue from the strong sense of immersion that can be created with VR, which could create sense experiences designed to avoid the perception of being enclosed and could also provide new modes of diversion and interaction that could make even lengthy MRI examinations much less challenging. Most current VR systems rely on head mounted displays combined with head motion tracking to achieve and maintain a visceral sense of a tangible virtual world, but this technology and approach encourages physical motion, which would be unacceptable and could be physically incompatible for MRI. The proposed VR system uses gaze tracking to control and interact with a virtual world. MRI compatible cameras are used to allow real time eye tracking and robust gaze tracking is achieved through an adaptive calibration strategy in which each successive VR interaction initiated by the subject updates the gaze estimation model. A dedicated VR framework has been developed including a rich virtual world and gaze-controlled game content. To aid in achieving immersive experiences physical sensations, including noise, vibration and proprioception associated with patient table movements, have been made congruent with the presented virtual scene. A live video link allows subject-carer interaction, projecting a supportive presence into the virtual world.
Highlights
Patients undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) often experience anxiety and sometimes distress prior to and during scanning
Mobile based virtual reality (VR) app, applied to help educate patients about MRI and simulate the experience of being scanned[9], and a more complex PC based VR system for patient preparation, which allows users to navigate in a virtual scanning room and interact with e quipment[10]
Studies using VR to improve the experience of the MRI examination itself so far remain limited, perhaps because of the significant challenges inherent to achieving an MRI compatible VR system
Summary
Patients undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) often experience anxiety and sometimes distress prior to and during scanning. Used methods to reduce anxiety prior to the examination include providing written information[3], video demonstrations[4], telephone conversation[5] and even mock MRI6. The immersive capabilities of Virtual Reality (VR) technology have been successfully exploited in clinical applications such as those related to anxiety disorders and phobia therapy[7,8] It is being deployed as a tool for desensitization and habituation in the preparation phase prior to MRI examination. The typical subject pose during imaging, supine and remaining as still as possible whilst constrained inside the relatively narrow scanner bore, is not compatible with usual VR software interfaces and their means of producing interactive and immersive experiences for the subject. The MRI examination is typically accompanied by noise and vibration, which can both add to stress levels and detract from the sense of immersion into a virtual world
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