“The human heart in Virtual Reality” project is a simulation with ultra-realistic Virtual Reality models, which we have developed together with Pepita Giménez-Bonafé, Associate Professor of the Department of Physiological Sciences of University of Barcelona‘s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (Campus Bellvitge).
The project we have carried out is to apply Virtual Reality (VR) to Human Physiology and Anatomy. Specifically, we have developed an immersive experience using Virtual Reality to explain how a human heart works, through an immersive virtual tour with an animated 3D model of the heart and lungs.
We have interviewed Pepita Giménez-Bonafé to find out her general view on this project and how it will be useful for the University of Barcelona.
Can you tell us a little about your role at the University of Barcelona?
I am an associate professor in the Physiology Unit of the Department of Physiological Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Bellvitge Campus.
How did the idea for this project come about? What is the main purpose of this project?
The idea of incorporating VR into the Physiology and Anatomy practices came from a Nursing colleague who did a stay at the University of Norway (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences) where she lived the experience: VR practices by Anatomy and Physiology students using the 3D Organon VR Visible Body, where students traveled through the interior of the human body, visiting different organs and systems, and as a final result they were very satisfied with the experience. At this point, I considered carrying out something similar at the University of Barcelona.
The overall purpose of the project is to leverage VR technology to enrich the teaching and learning of cardiovascular system theory by providing students with a hands-on, immersive experience that allows them to better understand and appreciate the complexity and functioning of this vital system of the human body. VR provides a safe and controlled way to experience and explore the functioning of the human body. Medical students can immerse themselves in virtual models of the human body, interact with physiological systems, and observe how they function in real time. This gives them a unique opportunity to visualize and understand complex theoretical concepts in a more practical and meaningful way.
How did you find out about Immersium Studio? How did you contact us?
I found out about Immersium Studio through Luis Villarejo, who participated as a speaker in an ICE course entitled Innovation for teaching course (2022), and I was a student. Within this course, Luis spoke about the application of VR in teaching. From there I contacted him and we ended up building this pilot project, and I say pilot because my idea is, in the future, to travel through all the systems inside the human body.
What did the project consist of? What are its main objectives?
Immersium Studio has created 3D software using VR where you can travel inside the human HEART, passing through the atria and ventricles, with the respective heart valves (tricuspid and mitral), exit towards the lungs, and re-enter the heart. The student follows the same path that a red blood cell would take when it enters the heart and exits to the lungs to be oxygenated. It is an immersive journey, where the theory explained in class is experienced virtually in first person.
The main objectives of the project are:
- Facilitate practice and technical skills acquisition: VR can offer students the opportunity to practice technical procedures in a safe and controlled virtual environment. For example, they can explore anatomy interactively. This allows them to acquire practical skills without putting patients’ health at risk and gives them the opportunity to repeat the practices as many times as necessary to perfect their technique.
- Enhance understanding and learning of physiology and anatomy: One of the goals of VR in physiology and anatomy labs is to provide students with an immersive experience that allows them to better explore and understand concepts and structures of the human body. By simulating virtual environments, students can visualize organs, systems, and physiological processes in 3D, making it easier to understand and learn these complex topics.
- Encouraging collaboration and interaction between students and teachers: VR can also promote collaboration and interaction between students and teachers. By using shared virtual environments, students can explore and discuss, work together on analyzing physiological data, or engage in group problem-solving activities. This encourages active learning, participation, and constant feedback from teachers, contributing to better development of skills related to human physiology and anatomy.
What challenges have you faced during the implementation of the project?
The reality (and not virtual) is that working with Immersium Studios has been a very easy task, because their team first listens to you to find out what you want, understands the idea, and captures it in a project prototype where you provide your comments and changes and they make them on the finished prototype, making it a final project “to the consumer’s taste.” Perhaps one challenge would be the economic one, since these types of projects are very expensive and Immersium Studios has adjusted to the budget granted by the RIMDA (linked to the DIGAPREN project, “Digitization of learning environments”, also promoted by the Vice-Rector for Teaching Policy, being one of the projects that the UB is developing within the framework of RD 641/2021 of July 27, 2021 – UNIDIGITAL) subsidy linked to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan financed by the European Union – Next Generation EU).
Which students have used and/or will use this immersive experience (both in terms of number of students and degrees they are taking)? How have you been received?
MEDICINE: 100 students
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES: 60 students
PODOLOGY: 90 students
DENTISTRY: 120 students
To date, VR practices have been carried out by students of Podiatry, and according to the results of the survey that was given to them, the students were very happy with the experience. The rest of the degrees plan to do the internship in the second semester.
Have the planned objectives been achieved?
Definitely. We are still halfway through the course carrying out evaluations. Our intention is to determine whether the implementation of this practice has a positive impact on academic results. Once the course is over, we will compare the grades obtained in other years (where virtual reality practices were not carried out) with the grades obtained this year, in which the virtual reality practice was carried out, to determine whether there has been a significant improvement.
How do you rate the project? Would you like to participate in other immersive projects?
I rate the project with a 10 out of 10. This is the beginning of a journey, a journey into the human body. My idea is to be able to extend the virtual immersion to the rest of the organs of the human BODY. The idea has been there for a long time. The company that will carry it out is also Immersium Studio. Now what is missing is the financing, applying for calls, scholarships, innovation projects, etc. The present VR project inside the heart is the beginning of a great journey.
What would you highlight about the experience? Both the process to make it a reality and the result.
I would highlight the professionalism and enthusiasm that we have all put into it. We have made an idea on paper become a reality, a virtual reality. And that enthusiasm and desire to innovate has been transmitted to the students, who have welcomed the experience with enthusiasm and have been left wanting more.
At Immersium Studio we are very pleased to have been able to participate in this interesting project, which we are sure will be useful for many students at the University of Barcelona. This project has had a lot of media coverage, as shown by various articles published in different media outlets, such as this article from La Vanguardia or this article from Redacción Médica. There have also been various posts on social media, such as this one from Linkedin or this one from Twitter, where you can see a video of the medical students’ first experiences with this immersive experience.
In the future, we hope to continue applying immersive technologies to other parts of the body, to help students understand structures as complex as those found within the human body.
