Visualizing Human Embryonic Development of the Heart's Outflow Tract
Authors: Sidorowych Christina Alyssia , Lebowicz Leah , Daugherty John , Brennan Kevin , Cotanche Douglas , Ross Callum , Bond Sam 
Published: November 2023

Project Concept

Human embryology provides a logical basis for understanding the overall organization of the human body and offers students the scientific basis for understanding mechanisms underlying both normal and abnormal development. The development of the human heart is one of the most complex processes to study in embryology. The heart is undergoing complex folding and various views and angles are needed to visualize this, making it very difficult to comprehend and learn the developmental process. Visualizing the 3‐dimensional changes that include complex twisting and folding during the heart's outflow tract development is especially difficult. Currently, there are many 2‐dimensional illustrations depicting the embryonic development of the heart. However, students struggle to comprehend the various views and angles of the heart with only 2D illustrations.

In collaboration with anatomy Professor Dr. Callum Ross from the University of Chicago and anatomy Professor Dr. Douglas Cotanche from the University of Illinois at Chicago, this research project will develop a 3D interactive program to visualize the formation of the heart's outflow tract. Modes and tools in the application will allow students to explore the heart's outflow tract through various cross sections and control the animation of the heart developing.

Materials and Methods

The Digitally Reproduced Embryonic Morphology (DREM) data, a digital image database of serially section human embryos from the Carnegie collection, will be used to digitally reconstruct 3D models of embryos and hearts for reference and to ensure accuracy of the project. The cross‐sections of embryo's heart in different stages from DREM data set will be brought into Materialise Mimics. Heart models extracted from Mimics will then be imported into Pixologic ZBrush, a 3D sculpting and painting program, and optimized to create a more manageable model to later animate. The models will be textured and animated to morph between the different stages of the embryonic development. After the models and animations are created, they will be compiled into Unity 3D and Storyline to develop the interactivity component. The finished 3D interactive tool will consist of a 3D model, animation, and pre/post tests.

Measurement of Success

To test the effectiveness of this 3D interactive learning tool, this project will be test on first year medical students enrolled in the Anatomy and Embryology II class at UIC College of Medicine. Data collected from the pre and post tests will be analyzed to help determine the overall effectiveness of the 3D interactive tool and whether there was improvement in understanding the spatial relationship and rotational twisting of the heart's outflow tract during development. Qualtrics, an online statistical data collection service, will be embedded in the interactive program in Unity 3D to analyze pre and post test data.

Anticipated Results

Results of this project will provide evidence on the effectiveness of three‐dimensional interactive visual learning tools for the education of medical students. Improving student's understanding of the development of the heart's outflow tract and its relationship to embryological defects, such as Tetralogy of Fallot, is anticipated. It will be of value to see whether students find the interactivity of the end product to be an effective study tool and used as a supplementary study material for students learning gross anatomy, embryology, and in a lab setting as well.