Observation of Patients' 3D Printed Anatomical Features and 3D Visualisation Technologies Improve Spatial Awareness for Surgical Planning and in-Theatre Performance

Improved spatial awareness is vital in anatomy education as well as in many areas of medical practice. Many healthcare professionals struggle with the extrapolation of 2D data to its locus within the 3D volume of the anatomy. In this chapter, we outline the use of touch as an important sensory modality in the observation of 3D forms, including anatomical parts, with the specific neuroscientific underpinnings in this regard being described. We explore how improved spatial awareness is directly linked to improved spatial skill. The reader is offered two practical exercises that lead to improved spatial awareness for application in exploring external 3D anatomy volume as well as internal 3D anatomy volume. These exercises are derived from the Haptico-visual observation and drawing (HVOD) method. The resulting cognitive improvement in spatial awareness that these exercises engender can be of benefit to students in their study of anatomy and for application by healthcare professionals in many aspects of their medical practice. The use of autostereoscopic visualisation technology (AS3D) to view the anatomy from DICOM data, in combination with the haptic exploration of a 3D print (3Dp) of the same stereoscopic on-screen image, is recommended as a practice for improved understanding of any anatomical part or feature. We describe a surgical innovation that relies on the haptic perception of patients' 3D printed (3Dp) anatomical features from patient DICOM data, for improved surgical planning and in-theatre surgical performance. Throughout the chapter, underlying neuroscientific correlates to haptic and visual observation, memory, working memory, and cognitive load are provided.