A novel virtual reality technology makes MRI a new experience

Researchers at King's College London have invented a new interactive virtual reality system for patients to use during MRI
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In a new paper published in Scientific Reports, the researchers stated that they hope this advancement will make it easier for those who are challenged by MRI scans, such as children, People with cognitive impairments, or those with claustrophobia or anxiety disorders
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Under normal circumstances, up to 50% of MRI scans in children under 5 years of age fail, which means that hospitals often rely on sedatives and even anesthesia to successfully scan children
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These measures are time-consuming and expensive, and have their own associated risks
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Lead researcher Dr.
Kuhn, Xuesen Qian from the School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Science, King's College London, said that the MRI scan is quite an alien experience because it involves entering a narrow tunnel, loud and often strange sounds in the background, and at the same time It must be kept as still as possible
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Dr.
Qian said: "We would love to find other ways to allow children and vulnerable groups to receive MRI scans
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"Our interest in virtual reality comes from a simple observation.
When people use and immerse themselves in a virtual reality environment, they have no idea about the surrounding environment
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In order to provide patients with an immersive virtual reality environment, the researchers developed a special virtual reality helmet that can be safely used in an MRI scanner
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This headset is designed to be light-proof so that users can't see their surroundings at all, nor are they aware of visual reminders about their location
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Once the system is properly placed, the system's projector will immediately start to provide immersive content, and then the virtual reality experience will continue from that point until the patient is removed at the end of the examination
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The researchers say that this and other measures are very effective in eliminating the internal MRI scanner, as their visual scene completely replaces the virtual reality environment and creates congruence with other sensations.
The scanner, etc.
is considered to be in the MRI inspection noise, vibration table Exercise and watch
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So far, this has been achieved by adding some elements to the visual scene, which indicate that construction work in the virtual world is underway, which can explain the noise and vibration of the scanner
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One of the main novelties of this system is that users can interact with the virtual world with only their eyes—just like we do things in our daily lives
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At present, there is no similar MR compatible system that can combine the VR display system with intuitive interaction methods
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Using their gaze (ie, just looking at objects or areas in the virtual environment), users can navigate in the virtual world, select content such as movies and games, play games, and initiate or terminate video links with companions/guardians
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The latter means that anxious patients can interact with peers or caregivers at will through the webcam with microphone and the monitor installed in the console area during the examination
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The researchers said that the next step in the system is to develop content and test it on patients
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“Developing the right content is crucial.
For the system to be effective, it needs to keep the subject/patient’s attention and immersion as long as possible
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Co-author Dr.
Tomoki Arichi said: "We are very excited about the possibility of the system opening up to vulnerable and important people, such as children and those with difficulties, who may not be able to perform MRI scans normally without sleeping
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