Project Overview
We partnered with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to design an immersive 3D platform that enables surgeons to plan complex pediatric heart procedures in virtual reality. Using Unity, we created digital twins from CT and MRI scans, allowing precise surgical review, device placement, and real-time global collaboration.
Built for accessibility and real-world use, the tool supports multiplayer planning, live translation, and intuitive 3D interaction—empowering teams in both advanced and low-resource environments.
Winner of the 2024 Unity for Humanity Award.
Model Ingestion & Desktop Setup
Each case begins in a web app where 3D heart models are uploaded from CT or MRI scans from real patients. Users set up permissions, review dates, and de-identified patient metadata before launching into VR. These are stored for future use or review.
Interactions & Controls
Because most users weren’t familiar with VR, we prioritized simple, intuitive controls. Using Oculus Quest controllers, surgeons could grab, rotate, and place components like conduits and valves in 3D space. A laser pointer enabled multiplayer communication, and annotation tools made it easy to mark key areas—keeping focus on planning, not the tech.
User Testing & Iteration
This was a multi-phase project that underwent real-world testing with practicing surgeons. Early versions were deployed to gather feedback on usability and workflow, which directly informed new features and refinements in later phases.
As the tool matured, we introduced improvements like faster model manipulation, clearer UI labeling, and expanded planning tools—all driven by surgeon feedback and real clinical use.
Impact
This platform improved surgical accuracy by letting teams visualize procedures before entering the OR. Surgeons gained confidence, collaboration became easier, and outcomes improved.
It also earned recognition as a Unity for Humanity grant winner—highlighting its global potential to transform pediatric cardiac care.
Training completes up to four times faster in virtual reality than in the classroom.
Users trained in virtual reality are up to 275% more confident to act on their learning.
Future of Healthcare
VR is evolving into a critical tool for healthcare, far beyond its gaming roots. It lets professionals explore anatomy, rehearse surgeries, and train in realistic scenarios.
As adoption grows, immersive platforms like this are becoming essential for medical education improving learning, access, and readiness across the world.