The Stanford Virtual Heart program was designed by Stanford cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgery experts, along with VR education content producers at Lighthaus Inc. The program will be available to child dental x ray ages 13 and older and their parents and caregivers. Doctors say the new technology makes it much easier for everyone to understand congenital heart problems.

1. Sta fo d Child e ’s Hea t Ce te - Virtual Reality
Program
Pediat i a diologists at Lu ile Pa ka d Child e ’s Hospital Sta fo d a e
de elopi g i o ati e a s to use i tual ealit VR i side the hospital’s
renowned child dental x ray Heart Center. This new program includes three
separate projects that are currently being used within the Heart Center which
leverage VR technology in distinct ways. All of these technologies and programs
could potentially be adopted in other areas of specialized, acute care at Packard
Child e ’s Hospital a d else he e.
VR technology, which is popular in the computer gaming community, is available
in only a fe hild e ’s hospitals a ou d the o ld. Pa ka d Child e ’s is a o g
the first to establish a comprehensive VR program dedicated to pediatric care
with this level of personalization and medical specialization.
Vi tual ealit is o e of the ost e iti g technologies that we can bring to bear
fo i p o ed edu atio a d i p o ed patie t e pe ie e. — Stephen Roth, MD,
hief of pediat i a diolog a d di e to of the Child e ’s Hea t Ce te .
Pediatric cardiologists at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford are using
immersive virtual reality (VR) technology to explain complex congenital heart

2. defects, which are some of the most difficult medical conditions to teach and
understand. The Stanford Virtual Heart experience helps families understand their
hild’s hea t o ditio s e plo i g a e ki d of i te a ti e isualizatio that
goes far beyond diagrams, plastic models and hand-drawn sketches. For medical
trainees, it provides an immersive and engaging new way to learn about the two
dozen most common and complex congenital heart anomalies by allowing them
to inspect and manipulate the affected heart, walk around inside it to see how the
lood is flo i g, a d at h ho a pa ti ula defe t i te fe es ith the hea t’s
normal function.
The hea t is a omplicated three-di e sio al o ga , a d it’s eall ha d to
des i e hat’s goi g o i side of it — especially when something is going
o g, said Da id M. A el od, MD, li i al assista t p ofesso of pediat i
cardiology at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Vi tual ealit eli i ates a lot of that o ple it letti g people go i side the
hea t a d see hat’s happe i g the sel es — it’s o th a o e tha a
thousa d o ds.
Students at Stanford University School of Medicine are already using The Stanford
Virtual Heart to learn about congenital heart defects and to help them visualize
the procedures our pediatric heart surgeons use to correct these conditions.
Students have reported that VR is the most engaging way to learn about anatomy,
far surpassing textbooks, models, online videos and cadavers.
Users put on a VR headset and use handheld remote controls to interact with the
virtual heart. They can rotate it, open it and inspect its different pieces, including
the various heart defects. They ca the telepo t i side the hea t to see the
i te io of the hea t’s ha e s a d essels a d to at h the i ulatio of lood
throughout the heart. Once inside, users can see exactly where the defect exists,
such as a hole in a septum or an improperly attached valve (both common
congenital heart defects). With a doctor close by to explain, the patient can more
easily understand how stitches might close up a hole or how a valve would be
repaired.
The Stanford Virtual Heart program was designed by Stanford cardiologists and
cardiothoracic surgery experts, along with VR education content producers at

3. Lighthaus Inc. The program will be available to child dental x ray ages 13 and
older and their parents and caregivers. Doctors say the new technology makes it
much easier for everyone to understand congenital heart problems.
These virtual experiences hold the promise of a new frontier in medical training
that will allow learners to absorb anatomical and physiological concepts faster
and more effectively.
The ui ke I a get ou edi al p o ide s to o pletel u de sta d thei
patie ts’ hea ts, the ette the out o es fo the patie t, said A el od.
David Sarno, founder of Lighthaus Inc., said cardiologists from around the world
ho ha e t ied the p og a ha e ag eed o VR’s pote tial to eshape edi al
education, including cardiology. He believes VR technology will be standard in
hospitals and medical schools within the next two years.
A ato is a lot easie to pe ei e a d u de sta d he ou a see a d
i te a t ith a li i g i tual od , Sa o said. It i gs edi al edu atio to
life.
The Stanford Virtual Heart was designed with support from Oculus, a subsidiary of
Facebook.
David Axelrod, MD is both Medical Director of Lighthaus Inc. and a shareholder.
For more details you can read article about child dental x ray

4. Contact Us
General:
Donald Frush, MD
Professor of Radiology, Vice-Chair of Radiology
Duke University
Medical Center Department of Radiology Box 3808 DUMC
1905 Children’s Health Center
Durham, NC 27710
imagegently@aol.com
Keith Strauss, MSc
Assistant Professor
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
University of Cincinnati School of Medicine
Department of Radiology, ML 5031
3333 Burnet Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45229
imagegently@aol.com
Administration:
Jennifer Boylan
Executive Director - Society for Pediatric Radiology
1891 Preston White Drive
Reston, VA 20191
703-648-0681
jboylan@acr.org

5. Press:
Shawn Farley
Public Relations Manager
American College of Radiology
1891 Preston White Drive
Reston, VA 20191
(703) 648-8936 Office
(800) 227-5463 Ext. 4936
sfarley@acr.org
Medical Physics:
Keith J. Strauss, MSc
Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center
3333 Burnet Avenue ML 5031
Cincinnati, OH 45229
513-636-7775
Keith.Strauss@cchmc.org