Teaching Biomedical Sciences Using 3D Modeling and Digital Animation
3D modeling technology, hand in hand with digital animation, is gaining more and more relevance in various fields of performance, one of which -and very relevant indeed- is an educational one. Various authors allude to the fact that current generations of students, as well as those to come, are increasingly well versed in the use of technological platforms and applications, the use of which is transferred, likewise, to the development of totally innovative study habits, in comparison to predecessor generations.
This time, I will present the main applications of 3D modeling and digital animation in biomedical sciences teaching. It should be noted that this information not only has an informative connotation, but also constitutes a kind of guide so that, both academics and students, are considered when developing innovative methodological strategies in their academic context.
6 Main Applications of 3D Modeling and Digital Animation in Biomedical Sciences Teaching
1) Pathology
Pathology is the branch of medicine responsible for studying the etiology and consequences of a great variety of diseases, through the use of morphological techniques, being the main field of application of histotechnology. To carry out its study, it is essential to have, first, audiovisual material of real patients suffering from a certain pathology; in the same way, until a few years ago, it has been common to use biological samples, such as corpses, to be able to carry out an in-situ study of the disease in question. However, the use of the aforementioned resources is diminishing over time, both from an economic point of view (due to the incineration of waste) and from bioethical aspects, derived from the use of corpses for experimental and educational purposes.
At this point, we must venture into using new technologies, as is the case of 3D modeling with digital animation. Thanks to 3D modeling software such as SelfCAD, from simple auto forms, modeling, sculpting, coloring, and texturing of an organ or tissue prototype that simulates a pathological lesion is made possible and not only that, but also makes it possible to provide the model with a sequence animation that reproduces its growth pattern, invasion, morphology, etc. In the same way, the possibility of simulating and reproducing morphological patterns in a virtual way also solves a preponderant factor when teaching this discipline: variety of disponible cases.
If we refer to the traditional way of transferring this type of knowledge to students, in which there were only images of books and some biological specimens treated with chemical fixing agents that alter the color pattern of an organ or tissue, the number of pathologies is as high as the existing types of injuries, in this way, it is challenging to have such a high variety and availability in a teaching laboratory, which allows students to be taught. For this reason, the use of this tool allows to reproduce lesion patterns of less conventional pathologies and, in turn, less likely to show in a chair or laboratory instance. This application constitutes a great opportunity to be able to link the digital modeling of prototypes with 3D printing, since, given the variety of resins and materials that exist to materialize a model on a platform, it is possible to confer an appropriate size, color and texture, so that the student involved in an experience as close as possible to reality.
2) Surgical Techniques
Similar to the previous application, the tendency to use cadavers or biological specimens to implement surgical techniques, all with a critical degree of precision and sensitivity, is progressively decreasing. Once again, we are at an inflection point with regard to teaching methodological strategies for teaching surgical internships, since -thanks to 3D modeling technology and digital animation- the simulation of different surgical techniques is made possible, such as hemimandibulectomy, ocular enucleations, pinna amputation, orchiectomies, mastectomies, surgical obtaining of segments of the digestive tract, among others. For example, thanks to the 3D modeling of an eyeball with a neoplastic disorder located in the orbital fossa, it becomes possible to know in advance where it is recommended to carry out the surgical intervention, taking into account the form of incision, cut and -the most important at the time of treating patients with neoplasms- determine the margins of tissue injury, in order to verify whether there is invasion and / or involvement of the neoplastic component in each of the margins (cranial, caudal, left, right and deep), being one of the indicative features of the prognosis and behavior of the injury over time.
On the other hand, as has been described in the previous section, 3D modeling applied to surgical techniques can also be transferred to Virtual Reality tools with different degrees of immersion (Immersive Reality), for example, through the design of a downloadable application for Virtual Reality devices and viewers, consisting of simulating an instance of surgical intervention, which can be manipulated by the student (under the teacher's guidance) and -in this way- get as close as possible to an instance or a genuine situation. From the point of view of innovation, this allows the reproduction of iterative cycles of tests or “fail fast,” in which the students will improve substantially as they continues to develop successive attempts of surgical techniques, to the point where they will achieve the appropriate expertise to be able to venture into real surgical wards with actual patients.
3) Histotechnology and Management of Tissue Samples
Histotechnology is the branch of technology that is responsible for providing the latest advances in the handling, treatment and processing of tissue specimens, in order to obtain a slide preparation that allows the histopathological diagnosis. Concatenated to the previous application, once we obtain a biological specimen (organ or tissue), it must be handled appropriately, taking into consideration two aspects: firstly - in cases in which a large specimen has been obtained during the surgical procedure- this must be sectioned until a tissue segment is obtained, the dimensions of which allow it to be placed in a histological capsule, which is called macroscopic reduction. On the other hand, tissue reduction should not be carried out randomly, but should follow an adequate order and take into account the margin of the tissue to be evaluated, previously determined by the surgeon. Considering all this , 3D modeling with digital animation substantially facilitates the manipulation of tissue samples , by illustrating how to make macroscopic cuts, respecting the surgical margins and the remaining healthy tissue. Additionally, this application of 3D modeling allows to establish, in advance, the recommended decalcification protocol to practice on bone fragments, before starting the histoprocessing. Thanks to the drawing of a decalcification scheme, which must incorporate the different types of cuts that are required to determine the compromise of the tissue margins by pathological component, there is a more complete and precise notion about the laboratory protocol to follow, in case of receiving bone or calcified specimens, from a surgical procedure. This aspect is especially relevant when we refer to the surgical removal of voluminous tissue specimens, such as hemimandibulectomy, radical splenectomies and orchiectomies, which - for obvious reasons - greatly exceed the limit of histological capsules.
This way, an animated 3D model can provide the student with adequate guidance on how to perform the macroscopic cut, taking into account the cutting plane (longitudinal, transverse, sagittal, coronal, or axial, as appropriate), positioning, and orientation of the margin. Free of lesion and the limit not compromised and - as important as all the above - do not leave tissue segments unprocessed, as they can be very preponderant when making the histopathological diagnosis, to determine if there is a compromise of that margin with the lesion principal.
4. Cytological Samples
Unlike histotechnology, cytotechnology refers to the various existing methods to obtain a specimen composed solely of cells, without a histological context, such as fine-needle aspiration and needle puncture without aspiration. In both cases, thanks to the 3D modeling technology, it is possible to replicate the methodology and technique of both types of sampling, specifying the movement, depth and appropriate direction of the instruments used. In the case of fine-needle aspiration, it is highly recommended to apply its use in the emptying of serous effusions, for example, a pleural effusion. After sculpting the lungs and the surrounding pleura, which were colored in light blue and with a greater degree of transparency, in order to appreciate the color of the lung parenchyma, the pleura sector is sculpted in such a way as to give the impression that it has an area provided with fluid in the pleural space. Subsequently, the positioning of an instrument is simulated (needle coupled to a plunger), which is pulled to produce a pleural volume reduction effect. This way, the protocol for emptying cavities with serous effusions is easily reproduced, which is also applicable for pericardial and peritoneal effusions and cystic lesions.
5. Oncology
Oncology is the discipline that studies and treats neoplasms, with special emphasis on malignant tumors, deserves a special section in this article, since it encompasses three-dimensional models that simulate both macroscopic pathological lesions, as well as molecular effector mechanisms that facilitate the progression of a neoplasm. Thanks to 3D modeling, it is possible to recreate the tumor microenvironment, which is defined as the set of cellular, tissue and molecular components that promote the growth, development, and stabilization of a tumor in a given organ or tissue. Likewise, specific phenomena of neoplasms and that are transcendental for their teaching and understanding, such as angiogenesis, metastasis and tumor growth patterns, according to the lineage or embryonic origin of the neoplasm, can be recreated with prototypes in 3D and even animated, in order to illustrate patterns of tissue invasion and remodeling.
Specifically, the last point -associated with growth patterns- is of vital importance to have a notion of invasion degree that neoplasms produce according to their tissue or embryonic origin, for example, those malignant tumors derived from the ectodermal or endodermal leaves, which give rise to the glandular and lining epithelia, are called carcinomas, which present a growth pattern in coalescing spheroidal nodules. On the other hand, neoplasms originating in the mesoderm, which give way to the formation of connective tissue, are called sarcoma and have a poly radial or star growth pattern, while those that also derive from mesoderm, but specifically from tissue Hematopoietic, they are known as round cell tumors, whose growth and invasion pattern follows a random and multidirectional pattern. All these growth patterns can be easily illustrated with a three-dimensional model provided with an animation sequence: in this way, it is possible to determine the compromise of the injured margins by the neoplastic component. In another aspect, 3D modeling also makes it possible to illustrate various molecular mechanisms that occur in neoplasia, such as the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and tumor growth patterns, such as en masse (epithelial origin), spider (mesenchymal origin), multidirectional aleatory (hematopoietic mesenchymal origin) and trabecular (neuroectodermal and endodermal origin).
6. Molecular Biology
Finally, other subjects in which this methodological strategy can be implemented, focusing on learning biomedical sciences, are cellular and molecular biology, immunology, genetics, microbiology, and their relatives. For example, in immunology, animated 3D models have been recreated that illustrate various effector mechanisms of immunity, such as hypersensitivity reactions, phagocytosis, antigenic presentation, activation of certain cell populations, among others. Although this niche is still in the making -at least in our educational context- it is a great initiative to be able to venture into 3D modeling and digital animation for the teaching of immunology, since, for a large part of the students, it is perceived as an arid, abstract discipline and difficult to understand and integrate. Therefore, the possibility of teaching these subjects with attractive elements and equipped with stylistic components can facilitate not only the learning process but also the performance of the students, which can be the objective of an interesting and forceful impact study.
As we can see, there are many applications of 3D modeling in the teaching and learning of biological sciences and their relatives. The relevance of this article is to make known that the design of three-dimensional prototypes can be linked with other highly sophisticated technological tools, such as 3D printing and Virtual Reality, which can be efficiently orchestrated, to design disruptive applications or platforms in which these 3D models can be linked to a Virtual Reality program, to provide an immersive and simulated experience to the student, as well as with 3D printing devices, to make tangible and texturize pathological or biological processes. Let's move towards a future in which technology and innovation will be the protagonists!
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