Jennifer Matthews: Virtual reality. It lets us see the world like we know it.
Now, the same technology is helping doctors see inside the heart. It's called I-Space.
Anton Koning: The I-Space room is made of projector screens that allows the images to float into space across people's eyes.
Jennifer Matthews: Special glasses and a handheld joystick let doctors delve deep into the anatomy of the heart from different angles and actually see it in 3D!
Dr. Annemien van den Bosch: The nicest thing is that we can really see now the heart as it is in your body.
Jennifer Matthews: Currently, doctors only see slices of heart with a standard echocardiogram. Compare that to the 3D image.
Annemien van den Bosch: Now, you really see that this is the heart. This is what I want to know.
Jennifer Matthews: Here's how it works. Doctors send an ultrasound image to a technician -- who turns it into a 3D picture. The new image is projected on the screens, and infrared tracking reacts to movement.
Anton Koning: We can surround people with the images, so they feel like they are standing in the middle instead of just looking at a screen.
Jennifer Matthews: The new technology could help doctors diagnose heart conditions and plan surgeries more precisely. Recently, 10 doctors tested the I-Space room. All the physicians were able to correctly diagnose a heart problem in less than 10 minutes.
Annemien van den Bosch: They were very enthusiastic because they said, 'Wow, now I know where I can make my incision.'
Jennifer Matthews: This high-tech solution is only being studied right now, but could be in your doctor's office in the near future! This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.
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