AnaVu: A Practical 3D Visualization System for Integrative Teaching of Radiological and Medical Gross Anatomy in Large Classrooms

Center for Visual Information Technology, IIIT Hyderabad, India
Submitted to IEEE TLT 2024

*Indicates Equal Contribution

Abstract

Undergraduate medical students are taught human anatomy typically with the aid of 2D drawings and images and are expected to understand 3D relationships from such 2D repre- sentations. This is challenging. In this paper, we present AnaVu, a lightweight visualization system for teaching 3D anatomy at a classroom scale. We propose a stereoscopic system along with an easy-to-use interface as a scalable 3D visual aid. This is an alternative to VR/XR devices that can only serve a handful of students and are heavy on computational resources. For large- scale classes (∼ 100 − 150 students), 3D visualization provides a direct way of depicting spatial relations, with stereoscopic projection further providing depth cues to distinguish fine structures. The visualization in AnaVu also integrates gross 3D and Radiological Anatomy. It is controllable by the lecturer with a mouse via a simple user-interface. The visualization supports labels for parts, animations and multimedia. Lessons can be prepared and loaded quickly in class. The proposed solution was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively by 180 students drawn from two medical institutions, and by 24 anatomy educators. The evaluation results show the proposed solution to be viable and effective for 3D spatial learning. AnaVu’s integration of Radiological anatomy enhances its applicability, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of 3D anatomical structures and correlating them with cross-sections captured in radiological images. This aspect was appreciated by both the educators and students