Immersive and Non-Immersive VR Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Simulation for Acute Myocardial Infarction

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) is a standard procedure whereby a hemodynamicist professional eliminates narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries. The procedure is taught and trained as part of the interventionist cardiology curriculum. The cognitive and motor skills required to complete this procedure are key during the patient's treatment, and are only achieved through extensive training. Currently, there is great concern among physicians regarding the dependency on high-end equipment requiring large investments that can limit the number of practices students can get. This paper presents the development of two virtual reality (VR) simulation prototypes for PCI training for treating Acute Myocardial Infarction. Our approach employs a virtual reality headset and a smartphone to compare their effects on the training experience. The visual immersion and non immersion effects are compared by gathering usability perceptions finding that the simulator has potential as a learning tool for medical education using VR technology.