Digital Lifesaver: Computer Animation in Medicine

Before computer animation, the two ways of teaching and presenting came in the form of large cardboard and films. Today, computer animation has paved a new way for the different sciences and arts to develop education and presentation methods.

One particular science that has benefited much from computer education is medicine. Computer animation enabled doctors in hospitals and medical schools to present a clearer, more understandable and interesting method of presentation.

One example is a computer animation of how the body\'s immune system works. Before animation, doctors could only describe how the body gets sick from a virus. With computer animation, doctors can show in detail the virus attacking a cell. Like a miniature ship floating inside the body\'s blood stream, students can see how a virus penetrates a cell and uses it to multiply and spread to others cells. A clearer understanding and fascination of seeing the human body in macro-level could teach people to strengthen their immune system.

Medical education not only benefited from computer animation; lives have also been saved in hospitals all over the world. Computer animation is used in brain surgery, one of the most complicated fields in medicine. Because of the complexity and frailty of the human brain, brain surgeons study and even practice the methods they use before the actual surgery. They entrust themselves to MRI and CAT scans to locate damages or tumors in the brain; however, MRI and CAT scans do not provide information in detail.

Computer animation uses the data obtained by the brain scanners and interestingly, it creates a 3D digital image of the brain and identifies the full extent of the damage or tumors. Brain surgeons can actually study the digital copy of the patient\'s brain, rotating and rolling the digital image to see every detail, which would have been impossible without animation. After studying the animation, they can come up with a life-saving procedure that would save patient.