A Novel Volumetric Three Dimensional Display Technique for Radiation Therapy Planning--Genex Technologies, Inc., 10605 Concord Street, Suite 500, Kensington, MD 20895-2504; (301) 962-6565
Dr. Jason Geng, Principal Investigator
Dr. Jason Geng, Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-98ER82588
Amount: $75,000

Good radiation treatment requires that the target volume receive a high and uniform dose of radiation while irradiating normal tissue as little as possible. However, judging the merits of alternate treatment plans from conventional two-dimensional display screens can be difficult. The problem becomes even more difficult if the entire spatial distribution of the radiation dosage is to be considered, because of the enormous amount of three-dimensional (3D) data that must be evaluated. The lack of a suitable method for superimposing 3D dose distribution on the relevant anatomy display has greatly contributed to the slow incorporation of 3D techniques into routine radiation treatment planning. The drawbacks of conventional displays can be largely overcome by employing true volumetric 3D display technology. That is, each "voxel" in the 3D images locates physically at the (x, y, z) spatial position where it is supposed to be, and emits light from that position to form real 3D images. Such a system would provide both physiological and psychological depth cues to oncologists, thus providing a unique visualization tool to ensure the safety, effectiveness, and speed of the radiation treatment. Recently, state-of-the-art technology has been developed that shows true volumetric 3D images with over 8 million voxels. This project will explore the feasibility of applying this technology as an augmented visualization tool for oncologists to use in selecting radiation treatment plans.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Applications for the volumetric 3D display range from military related areas (such as battlefield management, air traffic control, submarine navigation, flight trajectory visualization, pilot training, etc.) to consumer products (such as 3D TV, virtual reality, engineering design, games, education, scientific computation, footwear and fashion clothing industry, plastic surgery result validation, orthodontic parameter measurement, and law enforcement applications).