Virtual Reality

University of Alabama College of Nursing Evaluates Clarus Viewer VR Tool

• By Kate Lucariello
• 07/27/23

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) College of Nursing and the Clarus Viewer Corporation recently collaborated to test Clarus Viewer's VR medical imagery device and software. Students and faculty gave feedback that will inform future developments, the company said.

The stand-alone digital Clarus Viewer Trainer, which runs on Epic Games' Unreal Engine, imports 2D MRI and CT DICOM anatomical dataset images while keeping patient information anonymous.

Users can then visualize and manipulate 3D models in virtual reality. The models can be "rotated, scaled, measured, annotated, sliced, and cut to observe and evaluate interior structure, tissue, and fluids," Clarus said on its website. Visual features of images or models can be adjusted at the user's discretion.

Faculty and nursing students provided a formative evaluation of the software to give early feedback. The College of Nursing said UAH is excited to expose students to cutting edge technology and that nurses need to be involved with developing medical tech.

For Clarus, the collaboration and feedback are invaluable for future development of the tech in order to bridge "the gap between traditional book learning and patient care," the company said.

"Not only were we able to solidify that our product has the potential to improve the learning experience for nurses of the future, but it also helped us identify barriers of implementation and new areas of growth," said Cayla Garrett, Clarus Viewer lead market developer and medical liaison.

"We want more and more opportunities, like this, for our students so that they are better prepared to engage when they enter the workforce," said Karen Frith, dean of the College of Nursing. "Whether it's a process that needs to be improved, technology itself, or maybe it's just a workflow within their organization, anything that creates a questioning mind is good for our students. Clarus Viewer does just that."

To learn more about the Clarus Viewer and watch a video of how it works, visit the company's website.