CISMM

Projects:

MR Spectroscopy for Tumor Detection
Real-time Display of Structures Extracted from 3D Data Sets
Virtual Environments for Rehabilitation of Patients with Asymmetric Gait

The three collaborations in the medical cluster extend the impact of the Resource beyond microscopy into areas with potential clinical significance. The collaborations, two in the field of radiology and one in physical therapy, take advantage of Resource expertise in developing algorithms to display 3D volume scalar fields and expertise in developing effective immersive stereo display applications and virtual environments.

MR Spectroscopy for Tumor Detection
In recent years the use of MR spectroscopy and perfusion data has added new insight into abnormalities found in traditional MRI scans. Current methods for visualizing spectroscopy and perfusion data are limited. A goal of this collaboration is to develop visualizations that will help physicians understand the shape and structure of arbitrary correlations between multiple metabolites relative to anatomical data.

Real-time Display of Structures Extracted from 3D Data Sets
Historically, volume rendering techniques applied to CT and MRI data sets have been limited in their ability to show internal structure clearly: surfaces between the viewpoint and the structure of interest occlude the structure of interest. CISMM-developed Flexible Occlusion Rendering (FOR) allows radiologists to view structures as if the intervening surfaces had been peeled away.

Virtual Environments for Rehabilitation of Patients with Asymmetric Gait
Stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury can all result in asymmetric gait. This collaboration is enhancing traditional treadmill rehabilitation protocols with virtual environments displays and novel techniques that steer the user through the virtual scene using only data derived from the forces between the user’s feet and the treadmill belts.