Virtual reality prototype of a linear accelerator simulator for oncological radiotherapy training

Abstract

Learning to operate medical equipment is one of the essential skills for providing efficient treatment to patients. One of the current problems faced by many medical institutions is the lack or shortage of specialized infrastructure for medical practitioners to conduct hands-on training. Medical equipment is mostly used for patients, limiting training time drastically. Virtual simulation can help alleviate this problem by providing the virtual embodiment of the medical facility in an affordable manner. This paper reports the current results of an ongoing project aimed at providing virtual reality-based technical training on various medical equipment to radiophysicist trainees. In particular, we introduce a virtual reality (VR) prototype of a linear accelerator simulator for oncological radiotherapy training. The paper discusses the main challenges and features of the VR prototype, including the system design and implementation. A key factor for trainees’ access and usability is the user interface, particularly tailored in our prototype to provide a powerful and versatile yet friendly user interaction.