A Framework to Enhance the Experience of CBCT Data in Real-Time Using Immersive Virtual Reality: Impacting Dental Pre-Surgical Planning

Dental surgery has undergone a significant evolution with the advent of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), offering intricate 3D imagery vital for surgical planning, interventions, and diagnostics. Nonetheless, the comprehension of the extensive and intricate CBCT data remains a persistent challenge. To address this, virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising solution, empowering dental professionals to engage with CBCT data in real-time. This study introduces a VR framework meticulously designed for interactive and immersive visualization of CBCT data, enhancing the understanding of complex dental structures and pre-operative planning in dentistry. The proposed VR framework is developed by leveraging ray-marching volume rendering in the Unity platform with VR technologies for seamless interactions and to create an improvised immersive visualization environment. user-friendly interface supports intuitive CBCT volume manipulation through hand gestures and handheld controllers using an Oculus Quest 2 VR head-mounted device. A comprehensive evaluation involving 12 medical experts demonstrated the framework’s effectiveness, with an impressive overall mean rating of 4.4 out of 5, emphasizing its favorable reception. Participants were awarded a mean score of 4.3 out of 5 for the VR experience and a remarkable 4.5 out of 5 for performance and interactions, highlighting its robustness. The high System Usability Scale (SUS) scores of 87% for VR experience and its impact and 91% for performance and interaction unequivocally indicate the exceptional acceptance of the Unity-based VR framework for CBCT image visualization among experienced medical experts. Therefore, this study illuminates how the proposed VR framework has the potential to revolutionize pre-surgical planning and decision-making processes in dental surgery, particularly in the realm of oral and maxillofacial surgery, promising improved patient outcomes.