VRIDAA: Virtual Reality Platform for Training and Planning Implantations of Occluder Devices in Left Atrial Appendages

Abstract

Personalized anatomical information of the heart is usually obtained from the visual analysis of patient-specific medical images with standard multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) of 2D orthogonal slices, volume rendering and surface mesh views. Commonly, medical data is visualized in 2D flat screens, thus hampering the understanding of 3D complex anatomical details, including incorrect depth/scaling perception, which is critical for some cardiac interventions such as medical device implantations. Virtual reality (VR) is becoming a valid complementary technology overcoming some of the limitations of conventional visualization techniques and allowing an enhanced and fully interactive exploration of human anatomy. In this work, we present VRIDAA, a VR-based platform for the visualization of patient-specific cardiac geometries and the virtual implantation of left atrial appendage occluder (LAAO) devices. It includes different visualization and interaction modes to jointly inspect 3D LA geometries and different LAAO devices, MPR 2D imaging slices, several landmarks and morphological parameters relevant to LAAO, among other functionalities. The platform was designed and tested by two interventional cardiologists and LAAO researchers, obtaining very positive user feedback about its potential, highlighting VRIDAA as a source of motivation for trainees and its usefulness to better understand the required surgical approach before the intervention.