As the imaging community rushes headlong into the effort to acquire 3D, or volumetric data, in real-time, considerably less effort is going into determining the best way to display that data in a way usable to physicians. Most displays simply mimic the 2D images most physicians are comfortable with, pulling those images from the 3D data sets. However, a group at the University of Arizona has been working on updatable holographic images that can display full 3D volumes. The team just published an analysis of the performance of these devices.
From PhysOrg:
In 2008, researchers from the University of Arizona created a holographic 3D display that could write and erase images, making it the first updatable (or rewritable) holographic 3D display ever demonstrated. The key to the display was a photorefractive polymer material, which enabled the researchers to take advantage of the potential of holography to a greater extent than previously allowed. Now, in a follow-up study, the researchers have reported the results of their analysis on the performance of the display, including how the polymer enables display enhancements and what more needs to be done before such displays can be widely used.
More from PhysOrg: Researchers analyze performance of first updatable holographic 3D display…
Abstract from IEEE/OSA Journal of Display Technology: Materials for an Updatable Holographic 3D Display