IBM software links patient data to a three-dimensional map of the human body

IBM has built visualisation software that allows doctors to access medical records by manipulating a 3D avatar.

The Anatomic and Symbolic Mapper Engine creates a virtual representation of the human body, linking relevant medical data to each section of the anatomy.

Clicking on a specific part of the model will search a medical database for patient history files relating that area of the body.

This visual-led way of representing medical notes will reduce the need for doctors to wade through large volumes of paperwork, said Andre Elisseeff, lead researcher for IBM labs.

“It’s like Google Earth for the body,” said Elisseeff.

“In hopes of speeding the move toward electronic healthcare records, we’ve tried to make information easily accessible for healthcare providers by combining medical data with visual representation, making it as simple as possible to interact with data that can improve patient care.”