Segmentation of Circle of Willis from 7T TOF-MRI data and immersive exploration using VR

Abstract

7T TOF MRI scans provide high resolution images of intracranial vasculature. When segmented, the Circle of Willis is detailed and thus opens up new possibilities, in research but also in education. We propose a segmentation pipeline for the Circle ofWillis, and introduce a prototype that enables exploration of not just the entire Circle of Willis, but also of its centerline, in an immersive VR enviroment. In our prototype, the model can be freely rotated, placed and scaled. A qualitative evaluation was performed with two experienced neuroradiologists, who rated the prototype and its potential positively.

Keywords

• circle of willis
• segmentation
• vr
• anatomy education