Novel True 3D Display Tools for Effective 3D Visualization in Biomedical Research

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The physical world around us is three-dimensional (3D), yet most existing display systems have flat screens and can handle only two-dimensional (2D) images that lack the third dimension (depth) information. This fundamental restriction greatly limits the capability of human being in perceiving and understanding the complexity of real world objects. Human body and internal organs are of 3D shapes. Many medical imaging modalities are true 3D in nature. 3D imaging and 4D real-time imaging modalities have proven especially useful in cancer diagnosis and treatments, such as image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). However, when 3D image data are collected, existing methods of image display, interpretation and evaluation are often 2D, leading to possible slowdown, misinterpretation and less desirable clinical decisions for diagnosis, IGRT and other 3D visualization tasks. Xigen LLC has recently made a technology breakthrough and developed a novel large screen autostereoscopic 3D display concept based on the novel Single Projector Multiview (SPM) technology. The proposed SPM 3D display technology enables scalable large screen (up to a few meters), glass-free, interactive 3D visualization experience, and could alleviate key drawbacks of existing 3D display technologies by providing stereo parallax, motion parallax and surface textures, and reducing overall system cost to the range comparable with 2D display counterparts. Using only one projector significantly reduces the complexity, cost, and burdens for calibration and maintenance, resulting in a low-cost, high quality, mass-produciable commercial product. Uses of true 3D display in biomedical research would lead to efficient, effective and accurate visualization and interaction on high dimensional cell structure, molecular, genomic medicine, and image data. Uses of true 3D display to clinical applications, such as image guided radiation therapy (IGRT), could eliminate the directional bias during the diagnosis, planning and interventions. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed SPM 3D display concept is unprecedented and represents a significant breakthrough in true 3D display technology. The primary objective of this Phase I SBIR effort is to demonstrate the feasibility of a novel SPM technology by developing critical components for the SPM system, building a functional prototype, and demonstrating its application potential to various 3D/4D visualization applications in clinical settings with a focus on image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). This project would bring the novel true 3D display technology one important step closer to marketplace as a generic tool for advanced 3D visualization for biomedical research and cancer diagnosis/treatments. The true 3D display is a fundamentally new technology platform that can facilitate a broad range 3D/4D visualization applications in biomedical research and clinical applications. With the high performance and low-cost solution proposed in this SBIR, the true 3D display technology could serve as a viable tools to provide a new level of realism and add a new dimension (literally and figuratively) to the visualization tools available for biomedical research and clinical practices. It has broad impact on various aspects of healthcare practices, ranging from 3D/4D image visualization, image guided intervention, telemedicine, surgical replays, microscope/endoscope visualization, education, training, etc.