Whole-body trunk vessel evaluation after kidney transplantation
Image Courtesy of Centro Hospitalar e Universitario de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
From plain black-and-white images of individual anatomical structures to virtual 3D renderings of the whole body in space, X-ray imaging has come a long way in the past 125 years, largely thanks to digitalization. Read more below.
Heart of glass: Preparing surgery the virtual way
In Erlangen, pediatric cardiologist Muhannad Alkassar, MD, and his team use an augmented reality prototype to prepare quickly and with maximum accuracy the most complex heart surgeries. The mixed-reality HoloLens device visualizes CT scans in photorealistic 3D to represent even the tiniest detail. The physicians are currently comparing the technology with 3D printing.
From movies to medicine
The images are certainly eye-catching, but that’s not all. Cinematic Rendering – a new type of photorealistic 3D visualization inspired by Hollywood – could transform the way physicians are delivering care. Read how three physicians use the technology in their clinical specialty.
Learning for the future
The history of digitalization in medical technology does not begin with one specific invention. However, the digital image can be described as the root of all subsequent developments – up to the Digital Twin, which in the future can be used to conduct preliminary tests of certain drug treatments or surgeries in a digital environment in order to gauge the chances of success.