Holographic and Related Technologies for Medical Simulation.

Holographic technologies allow for direct three-dimensional (3D) imaging without the need for special glasses or headwear. Holographic imaging ranges from static (i.e., unchanging) toward dynamic (i.e., changing) presentations. Since dynamic holographic products are in their developmental infancy, this study utilized static holographic images to predict future needs and preferences for dynamic holography. Using a single anatomical model, five static holograms were created for subjective evaluation from respondents. Four major research questions addressed the aim of this study, to determine the impact of color, hogel size, polygon density, and directional resolution on user preferences and perceived image quality of holograms within the medical field. Data collection took place at Orlando Regional Medical Center, a part of Orlando Health from November 2017-February 2018. A total of 32 medical educators and providers viewed the static holograms, answering a series of questions related to each hologram. Overall perceptions/preferences were reported. Trends suggest that participants preferred the color over monochrome hologram, even when both are of the same image quality. The highest polygon density, 3.3 M (3.3 million polygons) was rated as rendering significantly higher image quality than lower polygon densities. Furthermore, there is a potential interaction between hogel size (like a pixel) and directional resolution (angular rays in each hogel). This study provides useful technical recommendations for future development of static and dynamic holograms as a possible alternative to current 3D visualization mechanisms in the medical domain.