AnaVu: IIIT-Hyderabad’s 3D Anatomy Visualization Platform Transforming Medical Education

Hyderabad, September 2025 — Under its Healthcare vertical, the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H), in collaboration with IHub-Data, has developed AnaVu (short for Anatomy Viewer), an innovative 3D visualization platform designed to make anatomy learning more immersive, accessible, and effective for medical students. Built with direct feedback from educators and validated through pilot deployments in leading medical colleges, AnaVu addresses some of the most persistent challenges in anatomy pedagogy and lays the groundwork for a scalable digital ecosystem in healthcare education. Addressing Long-Standing Challenges in Anatomy Education Traditional anatomy teaching relies heavily on cadaver dissection, supplemented by 2D textbook diagrams and static images. However, cadavers are in limited supply, vary in quality, and cannot always effectively demonstrate complex structures or hidden systems within the body. Similarly, flat 2D diagrams often fail to capture the spatial and functional relationships that are crucial for medical understanding.

AnaVu bridges these gaps by offering students a 3D, interactive, and immersive learning experience. Its visualizations are constructed from real-world MRI and CT scan data, anonymized to ensure patient privacy, and rendered into highly accurate models of the human body. Students can explore anatomy layer by layer, rotate structures, and zoom into details that would otherwise be hard to observe in cadavers or textbooks.

A unique capability of AnaVu is its ability to visualize intricate anatomical details such as fibre tracts that otherwise require advanced, time-consuming cadaver dissection techniques which is not practical in teaching large classes. This makes it especially valuable for teaching complex anatomy concepts.

Educators who have tested the system note that AnaVu not only aids comprehension but also helps reinforce knowledge retention by making learning experiential.

Pilots and Deployments in Medical Colleges AnaVu has already seen early deployments in prominent medical institutions, including: • Bhaskar Medical College and General Hospital, Hyderabad • Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad • Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram These pilots have provided valuable feedback on usability, integration into existing curricula, and student engagement. Encouraged by this response, IIIT-Hyderabad is now in discussions with additional institutions, such as Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences, and Deccan Medical College, for broader deployments.

The adoption of AnaVu across such institutions highlights its practical relevance and scalability. By lowering barriers to access and improving the quality of anatomy education, AnaVu positions itself as a key enabler for strengthening India’s medical training ecosystem.

Beyond Learning: A Vision for Diagnosis While AnaVu’s immediate focus is on medical education, its long-term vision extends into clinical practice. The same 3D visualization and modeling capabilities that make it an effective teaching tool could, in the future, be leveraged by doctors for diagnostic purposes.

For instance, physicians could use AnaVu’s visualization capabilities to explain conditions to patients, helping them better understand their health status and treatment options. This doctor–patient engagement aspect not only improves transparency but also fosters trust and informed decision-making.

Thus, AnaVu represents more than a classroom innovation — it lays the foundation for a broader ecosystem where AI-driven visualization supports both learning and practice.

Scaling Through Content and Collaboration IIIT-Hyderabad envisions AnaVu as a “Make in India” solution with the potential to scale nationally and globally. By expanding its library of 3D anatomical models and strengthening collaborations with medical institutions, AnaVu can democratize access to high-quality anatomy learning resources, especially for colleges in resource-constrained regions.

Collaborations with medical colleges ensure that AnaVu evolves in alignment with the real-world needs of students and teachers, rather than remaining a purely technological innovation detached from its end-users.

The Road Ahead AnaVu embodies IIIT-Hyderabad’s commitment to human-centered computing and applied AI in healthcare. By addressing a pressing gap in anatomy pedagogy, it showcases how advanced technology can be meaningfully deployed to solve problems in education.

As the platform matures, key milestones will include: • Expanding the 3D model library to cover the entire human anatomy.

• Growing deployments across medical colleges nationwide.

• Experimenting with doctor-oriented diagnostic use cases.

The confluence of these milestones will determine AnaVu’s trajectory — from being a promising teaching tool to becoming a cornerstone of digital anatomy education and beyond.

About IIIT Hyderabad The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT Hyderabad), established in 1998, is a leading research university known for its interdisciplinary, research-driven approach and strong industry collaborations. IHub-Data, the Technology Innovation Hub on Data-driven Technologies at IIIT Hyderabad, has been set up under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, to drive applied research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in data-driven technologies with applications in healthcare, mobility, and sustainability.

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