Virtual 3-D human body may replace cadavers

The software, titled "3-D Indiana" developed by Dr Jerome Kalister, has been referred to the Medical Council of India (MCI) for tests and approval.    

Developed by a 20 member-team led by Jerome, the software could help surgeons to perform robotic surgery on the brain, heart and liver pinpointing the precise location of nerves and organ parts.    

"The software has more advantage than cadavers and will be a dominant feature in medical colleges in future. The important thing is that cadavers cannot be reused whereas surgical methods can be always learnt through the 3-D virtual body," Jerome said.    

Many uses which cannot be performed on a real body could be used in the 3-D structure to identify the relative orientation, shape, position and texture of the human body with the plenty of options available in the software, he said.     

The only objection being raised against the software was that students would not get a "feel" of the human body, but Jerome said, "Skill is not developed by doing cadavers. I do not think students, teachers or anatomists are benefitted by the feel."    

If the criteria adopted by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and Anatomical Society of India (ASI) were satisfied, the software could slowly eclipse cadavers.    

The software could also be marketed in certain countries where cadavers were not allowed for medical studies, he said.