Visual Medical Education

Scientifically accurate illustration of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including the usrface spike proteins, created by Satyen Tripathi of Emory Univeristy.

Updated June 30, 2021

It has been said that "a picture is worth 1000 words." A picture can also change a life. Images have the power to teach, to persuade, to move you emotionally, and to imprint themselves in your memory. Visual Medical Education (VME) creates innovative visual tools to improve educational and health outcomes. Digital technology now allows us to go far beyond simple images. iPad apps, 3D animations, eBooks, virtual and augmented reality, and the Web offer many immersive ways to teach medical concepts.

VME endeavors to create innovative designs and models that can revolutionize research, education, and patient care. VME is currently working on strategic projects in Surgery, Transplant, Brain Health, and Winship Cancer Center. These projects are intended to solve important educational problems that affect a significant number of learners and change outcomes.

"Design-thinking" is a term that has recently made its way into the world of business. It is an increasingly popular process used to solve problems and guide innovation. Design-thinking isn't just a session VME participates in from time to time. It's the core of who we are. Designers are driven by empathy to creatively solve problems for individuals. We are excited to apply this way of thinking to the world of medical discovery, care, and teaching. Together with our partners in the Emory School of Medicine we are working to preserve health, extend life, and alleviate human suffering.

 

Animation

Computer animated movies, based on 3D models and 2D illustrations, are an effective way of maintaining attention and improving recall of the material.

Illustration

Images can be used across a variety of platforms including the web, print publications, and social media. These illustrations are faster to create than movies and interactive projects. Scientific accuracy and clarity are key.

Three neurosurgery illustrations depicting various craniotomy sites and measurements to allow the surgeon to gain access to different parts of the brain based on surface anatomy

Design

Information that is beautiful and well-organized will be better understood and remembered. Principles of design applied to non-visual processes, with the end user in mind, can offer new insights. Often known as "design-thinking", and rooted in empathy for the end-user, this process strengthens the final outcome of any project. Patient education materials, informational graphics, interface design, charts, data visualization, and posters require an expert designer to effectively communicate with the learner.

Infographic design depicting the relationship between different tools and the components of care that they are used to effect.

3D Printing

The ability to take a computer model and print a custom physical model has exciting applications in medicine. A tangible model enables a learner to engage with their hands and combining this with other modalities such as illustrations or VR can offer even more engaging learning tools. Our team currently employees 3D printing to aid in surgical training and simulation.

3D printed molecular model of belatacept

Apps

Mobile devices are ubiquitous and they give the teacher the ability to connect with learners remotely as well as an accessible learning platform in the classroom. We have extensive experience partnering with programmers to design the visual content that is needed in a native iOS, Android, or web app.

Posterior liver anatomy from the liver app, as viewed on an iPad

Augmented Reality / Virtual

Computer models can be used in a virtual world over even projected onto reality (augmented reality) through a viewer. These can offer powerful training opportunities as well as the ability to pre-visualize a new state or reality. Virtual reality is very immersive, while augmented reality allows the learner to stay engaged with both the content and the world around them.

Simulation of surgical residents viewing pelvic anatomy on mixed reality headset.

Imaging data reconstructions

The 3D technology we use to create illustrations and animations can also be used to reconstruct serial data such as CT scans, MRI studies, and more. We are also capable of incorporating proteins from the PDB and other sources into animations and illustrations to ensure accuracy.

3D digital reconstruction of the aorta, kidneys, and surrounding tissues and muscles.