Experts of medical informatics are always looking forward to a digital revolution in studying the human anatomy. The BioDigital Human is a three-dimensional, fully interactive visualisation programme that enables users to explore the human body in ways that could have never been possible with a cadaver, much less a medical atlas. But, it can never replace good ol’ dissection.
The creators feel that with traditional anatomy atlases, doctors are at the mercy of what the authors have created for them. But with BioDigital Human, they can manipulate it themselves. Also, the digital body can be explored again and again and again – a feature that cannot, for obvious reasons, exist for cadavers.
The tissues shown in BioDigital are labelled, thereby helping you to see how they are connected to various parts of the body. It can be zoomed in or out, and can be rotated in just about any direction. This digitised human is linked to various educational resources, like MEDLINE, which have a plethora of information about the various medical conditions associated with the area/organ of interest.
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The programme can also be used by patients to understand their bodies better and as a promotional tool to generate awareness and interest in careers related to science.
BioDigital Human is especially designed for those who have a difficult time picturing the two dimensional pictures in a book in three dimensions. As is the norm with most contemporary digital tools, you can share your virtual exams with friends via various social media platforms. This way, you can extend a collaborative environment beyond your classroom.
But, there are students who still prefer studying from an atlas because the pictures there are more vivid. And there are doctors who believe that nothing can substitute looking at a body.
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Professors at various universities feel that this programme is alright if used as a reference. They are, however, not very sure how it would be incorporated into their curriculum and they do not see how it would dramatically improve the way students dissect cadavers.
If some professors are anything to go by, then, although the programme helps students understand how various organ systems interact, the 3D renderings look a little cartoonish and do not compare favourably to the illustrations in atlases. The programme is quite impressive, but it is still very different from what can be seen in a body.
But, BioDigital is much better than its competitors like Anatomy TV and BodyMaps that have a similar concept but are less detailed and user friendly.
The cost of the programme may act as a deterrent for many. You can use the basic online version for free, but you will have to pay for more advanced features. New York University has connections to the developers that helps them get the programme at economical rates. But many other medical schools and hospitals may not find it affordable.
Even then, it does seem like a really cool way to understand your body and see some wonderful digital work