The IRIS Project – Immersive Radiotherapy Immobilisation System

Each year in the UK, around 6,000 people undergo radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. Treatment is delivered in daily sessions lasting 10–15 minutes, and it is vital that patients attend every appointment. To ensure the radiation precisely targets the tumour while protecting healthy tissue, patients must remain completely still.

Currently, this is achieved using rigid, custom-made thermoplastic masks. While effective, these masks are tight, restrictive, and can become increasingly uncomfortable over the course of treatment. For many patients, they provoke significant anxiety and claustrophobia. Research suggests that up to 40% of patients receiving radiotherapy experience anxiety, with some needing treatment breaks or medication to cope.

The IRIS Project

The IRIS Project (Immersive Radiotherapy Immobilisation System) aims to transform this experience. By integrating virtual reality (VR) technology into radiotherapy treatment, IRIS seeks to reduce anxiety while maintaining the absolute stillness required for safe and accurate radiation delivery. The project goal is to improve psychological well-being and comfort during treatment without compromising clinical precision.

Innovation through Collaborative

IRIS is a truly interdisciplinary initiative. The project brings together researchers and clinicians from our IPH research group alongside colleagues from the School of Engineering, combining expertise in healthcare innovation, immersive technology, and medical device development. We are working in close partnership with clinical teams at the NW Head and Neck Cancer Centre, Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, and The Christie. These collaborations ensure that IRIS is grounded in real-world clinical practice and shaped by the needs of both patients and therapeutic radiographers. By uniting engineering, clinical oncology, radiotherapy practice, and patient insight, IRIS represents a model of co-designed healthcare innovation.

Co-Creation with Patients

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) has been central to IRIS from the outset. Working closely with our patient partners, including individuals with lived experience of head and neck cancer, we co-created the immersive environment that patients will experience during treatment. The result is a calming forest setting beneath a peaceful night sky, illuminated by the Northern Lights.

This tranquil, carefully designed environment was chosen specifically to evoke relaxation, openness, and gentle distraction, counteracting the confinement and anxiety often associated with immobilisation masks. Our PPI group is core to our hardware design, software development, user testing, and dissemination strategies, ensuring the system remains patient-centred at every stage.

Design and Evaluation

IRIS is currently undergoing safety testing to confirm that it functions safely within both radiotherapy and magnetic resonance environments and does not interfere with radiation dose delivery. We will then commence structured evaluation with healthy volunteers from the local community. Participants will undergo simulated CT scans using both the traditional fitted mask and the new VR-supported system. During each session:

• Anxiety levels will be measured using validated surveys
• Heart rate will be monitored as a physiological marker of stress
• Head position will be tracked to confirm that immobilisation is maintained

Participants will also take part in interviews to compare their experiences and share reflections. This mixed-methods approach will allow us to determine whether IRIS meaningfully reduces anxiety while preserving the stillness required for safe treatment.