More than 180.000 visitors have already experienced “Virtual Anatomy” based on “Cinematic Rendering” in the Ars Electronica Center in Linz – leaving with a whole new sense of inspiration and awe for the human body. The unique possibilities of the program are especially helpful for medical students – our physicians of tomorrow - that get to study Virtual Anatomy at the JKU medSpace of the JKU Linz regularly now. Surveys of satisfaction with the course consistently yield excellent ratings, and initial studies show learning gains of up to 40%. This is what our students say:
„Studying Anatomy can be frustrating for me at times, but the Virtual Anatomy course makes it very enjoyable and allows me to easily understand concepts which I am struggling with. I find the course extremely useful, interesting and fun!“ Mara Brasoveanu
"The course is my absolute favorite event in the preclinical phase. I benefit a lot, especially from the 3D sections, and can constantly repeat and expand my anatomy knowledge. The clinical references are very interesting and lighten up the whole course. Thank you!" Julia Albrecht
"Using elaborate 3D models, Prof. Fellner manages to bring us closer to the complex structures of human anatomy. Definitely the highlight of preclinical!" Johannes Eder
“I look forward to every lecture in the JKU medSpace. It is simply a pleasure to learn anatomy and radiology in this modern way, and it allows us students to understand the positional relationships of structures in a whole new dimension.” Agnes Kraxberger

Ultimately, three factors were decisive for this idea to be realized so successfully: The coming together of three professionals from different disciplines, their enthusiasm for the project, and the will to work together beyond the limitations of specialties and current technological status. Always keeping in mind the future possibilities and diverse areas of application, from insights for the general public to highly specific lectures for medical professionals.

The fact that the JKU medSpace would ultimately emerge from the collaboration between Prof. Fellner of JKU and Klaus Engel of Siemens Healthineers was due not only to the support of JKU Rector Meinhard Lukas and Elin Dudra, Vice Rector for Medicine, but above all to an unexpected supporter: the public, that got to be part of the experience from the very beginning in the Deep Space 8K of the Ars Electronica Center in Linz, one of the most prestigious museums for art, technology and society worldwide. There, with the help of the Ars Electronica Futurelab that developed Deep Space 8K, Siemens Healthineers' "Cinematic Rendering" software was presented to the public for the first time in stereoscopic 3D – with an enthusiastic reception and enormous success. At this public interface the potential for "Virtual Anatomy" crystallized within a very short time.

As advice from this project, which is constantly evolving even after eight years, we would therefore like to share with you to think innovation bigger and to take society, its future and its enthusiasm with you as an incentive and momentum builder.

The JKU Linz has recently started an elaborate cooperation project with the Chair of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy at the Medical University of Graz under the supervision of Prof. Hammer. A 3D camera is being installed in the dissection room of the anatomy department in Graz so that anatomists from Graz can be called in during lectures in Linz and demonstrate the topic currently being discussed in three dimensions using specimens for all participants. In addition, in cooperation with the Ars Electronica Futurelab, a lecture hall will soon be set up in Graz that is similar to the JKU medSPACE in terms of its technical capabilities. In this way, the "Virtual Anatomy" lectures from Linz will also be available simultaneously to students in Graz, and in the same 3D quality. Another step in the future is the expansion of the highly popular science presentation series "Anatomy for Everyone - theatrum anatomicum" for the public.

Siemens Healthineers is working on "Cinematic Rendering" to integrate dynamic data from their high-speed computed tomography scanners, visualizing the beating heart and perfusion in an abdominal stent. Physiological imaging is unleashed using data from latest generation 7 Tesla MR scanners, enabling an increased MR signal with multinuclear imaging and spectroscopy. In addition, "Cinematic Rendering" will be further developed towards multimodal and functional imaging. Moreover, zooming from the whole body to organ systems and organs down into the cellular domain will be enabled using micrometre resolution synchrotron data from the "Human Organ Atlas Project".