Author: Usha Robins Abraham, Monique Lockhart Chisem, Alonso N. Gutierrez, Janos Juhasz, Michael Leyva, Carlos M. Rivera, Ranjini P. Tolakanahalli, Vanessa Vega Fleites 👨🔬
Affiliation: Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami Cancer Institute, Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health 🌍
Purpose:
Accurate breath hold (BH) gated treatments rely heavily on patient cooperation. Maintaining consistent breath-hold levels can be challenging for patients. Surface image guidance (SGRT) is a commonly used technology that monitors and gates the treatment beam during BH treatments. Although visual biofeedback monitors help patients achieve precise BH positions, existing commercial solutions for real-time patient feedback are often expensive. This study introduces a cost-effective, wireless patient coaching monitor that provides visual biofeedback and is designed to enhance treatment quality and delivery efficiency.
Methods:
The system hardware includes a wired HDMI transmitter connected to an AlignRT™ SGRT system that is paired with an in-room battery-powered HDMI receiver and display mounted on a gooseneck clamp for optimal positioning on the treatment table. A Python application with a PyQt5-based graphical user interface running on the AlignRT workstation allows users to interactively select and mirror either the breathing waveform or coaching display to the secondary in-room monitor. Selected regions were stored in a local JSON file for reproducibility and the Multiple Screen Shot (MSS) library was deployed to manage real-time screen capture and mirroring. This design minimizes setup time, cable clutter, and ensures clear patient visibility of the AlignRT gating window graphic.
Results:
Clinical deployment demonstrated that the wireless system can be positioned flexibly without compromising video quality or incurring noticeable latency. Users reported enhanced workflow efficiency due to simple wireless setup, minimal cabling, and the system’s adaptability to different treatment room configurations. The wireless functionality further contributed to patient comfort and seamless integration into existing workflows.
Conclusion:
By integrating a flexible hardware design with intuitive, software-driven mirroring, this affordable wireless patient coaching monitor encourages patient engagement and breath-hold precision during BH treatments. Future upgrades aim to broaden compatibility with a wider range of treatment gating systems, further extending its impact.