UF College of Medicine students receive hands-on opportunity with 3D-printed organs, AR holograms
Students learn using 3D-printed organs, augmented reality holograms in demonstration held April 8-9
A medical student holds a 3-D model during the demonstration April 9 in the George T. Harrell, M.D., Medical Education Building.
Photo by Jacqueline Hart
April 29, 2021 — UF College of Medicine students were provided a unique opportunity to learn about human anatomy using an innovative suite of leading-edge medical technologies, including 3D-printed organs and anatomical representations — hearts, brains, aneurism pathologies, limbs and more — and augmented reality, or AR, technology to interact with intricate anatomical models.
The presentation, held April 8-9 at the George T. Harrell, M.D., Medical Education Building, was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital; ApoQlar, maker of VSI Holomedicine, which displays medical scanned images as 3D holograms in real space; and Stratasys, maker of the J750 Digital Anatomy™ Printer, which has the capability to print 3D replicas of human hearts and other anatomy with similar biomechanical properties including soft tissues, cartilage, muscle and bone structures. The visit was arranged by Sara Weitzel, associate director of UF Health IT Educational Technologies, and her team that works with the UF academic health center colleges to support education and training.
“We’re already using these tools for educating patients and pre-surgical planning, but we can’t wait for these technologies to be widely accessible for medical students,” said Robert L. Hannan, M.D., head of the Cardiovascular Surgery Advanced Projects Laboratory at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
Kyle Rarey, Ph.D., a professor in the UF College of Medicine's department of anatomy and cell biology, looks at 3-D organ models with a group of medical students.
Photo by Jacqueline Hart
As part of the presentation, Stratasys donated 40 3D-printed hearts for students to dissect and learn from.
“We have been searching for educational tools to enhance students’ learning of gross anatomy,” said Kyle Rarey, Ph.D., a professor in the department of anatomy and cell biology. “We are on the cusp of changing how anatomy of the human body can be learned and remembered with medical technologies like these.”
Medical students agreed that the augmented reality enhanced the learning experience.
“There’s a certain sense of freedom working with the 3D models and holograms that you don’t always get with cadavers,” said first-year medical student Maegan Cremer. “When dissecting, you’re constantly worried about destroying something you may need to study later. With this technology, you can get right into the holographic models, blow them up as large as you need to and actually walk through the models.”
Photos by Jacqueline Hart
