Abstract— Effective processing of source data matched to
appropriate visualisation can greatly enhance the user’s ability to
explore and comprehend complex information. While this is a
fundamental problem for many domains, in medical applications
it is particularly important. None-invasive scanning technologies,
such as MRI, have greatly enhanced our ability to ‘image’ the
internal body, however the resultant visualisation is often difficult
to comprehend due to both inadequacies in the scanning process
and sub-optimal approaches to visualisation and data
representation. These factors impose significant cognitive load on
the user, requiring skill and experience to accurately comprehend
detail and intense concentration, and in less experienced users, to
understand the structures present. Our broader research aims to
identify whether 3D representations of MRI data sets offer a
more intuitive means of viewing the data and thereby enable
easier understanding and comprehension of the scanned body
region. As part of this research we have constructed a 3D MRI
viewing application, raaMediVol, which utilises recent
developments in 3D computer graphics hardware, to present an
interactive environment that enables the user to view both
traditional 2D slice representations and an enhanced 3D
volumetric form that is freely explorable and configurable both
on traditional 2D computer desktop displays and within
Immersive Projection Technologies (IPTs)[1]. Initial evaluation of
the two representational paradigms been undertaken through the
comparative assessment of experienced clinicians’ performance in
diagnosing a range of soft tissue pathologies within the shoulder,
displayed in both traditional 2D slice, and evolved 3D volumetric
representational form. An overview of the application, its
technical operation, and the results of the evaluation trials are
presented.