The challenge: Enhancing practical pathological anatomy education with interactive tools
Traditional training in pathological anatomy faces significant limitations, relying heavily on theoretical methods and in-person practice with limited resources. This reality makes it difficult for students to acquire essential practical skills in autopsies in a safe, efficient, and controlled manner.
Therefore, a technological solution was needed, one capable of recreating a realistic, controlled, and accessible environment that enables active learning, continuous supervision, and immediate error correction, thus overcoming the barriers of conventional training.
Pathological Anatomy Laboratory and Autopsy Room
A center dedicated to training in pathological anatomy, integrating advanced technologies to improve hands-on learning.
Carolina Rubio
Secondary School teacher, specializing in Health Processes
My experience working with Innoarea has been entirely positive. From the very beginning, their commitment was outstanding, and the environment was highly collaborative. The evaluation of the developed project “AUTOPSIES” has shown it to be a pioneering addition to the classroom, allowing students to acquire autopsy-related content through innovative learning methods in the Higher Vocational Training Cycle of Pathological Anatomy.
La solución: Aplicación inmersiva de realidad virtual con seguimiento manual para autopsias
We developed an application for Meta Quest that offers an immersive and natural experience thanks to hand tracking, eliminating the need for physical controllers. Users can interact directly with organs and tools in a realistic and safe virtual environment.
The content is divided into eight sequential modules with clear instructions and an automatic system that detects errors at the end of each phase. This allows students to correct mistakes and improve their skills efficiently. Additionally, the application includes systems to monitor student progress and has been designed following a detailed analysis of the real laboratory and instrumentation, ensuring a simulation that closely reflects professional practice.
Costs associated with materials and use of physical labs
Speed of acquiring practical competencies
Practical errors during real-world training
- Compatibility with VR headsets (Meta Quest)
- Hand tracking for natural, controller-free interaction
- Detailed and clear instructions for each stage of the process
- Integrated evaluation and error-tracking module in each scenario
Key results
The results show a significant improvement in practical training, with a 40% reduction in costs associated with materials and physical labs, and a 30% increase in learning efficiency, reducing the need for in-person training time. Additionally, the tool contributes to greater knowledge retention and a notable decrease in errors during real-world practice, resulting in a tangible return on investment for educational institutions and healthcare training centers.
This project was developed as part of the initiative for the Integration of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Tools in the Pathological Anatomy Laboratory and Autopsy Room. Thanks to funding from the European Union’s Next GenerationEU program and the active collaboration of educational institutions such as IES Ramón y Cajal, IES Carlos Castilla del Pino, IES Institut Bonanova, and IES Ribera del Tajo, the application has been established as an innovative and effective educational tool.
