Web-based Stereoscopic Collaboration for Medical Visualization

Abstract

Medical volume visualization is a valuable tool in medical practice and education to virtually explore volume data of the human body. Real-time interaction, stereoscopic presentation, and collaboration are required for its full comprehension in all its three dimensional complexity. Such visualization of high-resolution data, however, is due to its high hardware demand almost only available on special imaging workstations. Whereas remote visualization systems are used to provide such visualization at peripheral locations, they still require complex software deploy- ments. Since these are barriers for an universal and ad-hoc availability, the following hypothesis arose: A high performing remote visualization system, specialized for stereoscopy and ease of use, can provide access to real-time interactive, stereoscopic, and collaborative medical volume visualization. The most recent work about remote visualization utilizes pure web browsers, but without empha- sizing high performing usability by any participant nor essential functionalities to support various stereoscopic display systems. The web browsers familiarity, their ease of use, and wide availability led to following main research question: Can we evoke a solution that fulfills all aspects by only using a pure standard web browser at the client side? A proof of concept was conducted to verify the hypothesis, including a prototype development, its practical application, its performance measurement, and comparison. The resulting prototype system (CoWebViz) is one of the first web browser based systems without added software that provides fluid interactive remote visualization in real-time. Performance tests and comparisons show the superiority of the approach to the tested existing applications, including a native application. Its support of various stereoscopic display systems, which are simultaneously usable in a single collaborative visualization session is currently unique via such a lightweight client. Its usage for an usually resource intensive stereoscopic and collaborative setup for anatomy teaching shared with inter-continental participants shows the approach’s feasibility and simplifying character. The feasibility of the approach has also been shown by its further successful usage in high-performance computing, and in surgery.