• Universitat de València

The visualisation of microscopic structures, such as bacteria and viruses, is subject to the use of microscopes and digital screens. This prevents intuitive and free interaction when visualising the behaviour of the structure and the replication mechanisms of these microorganisms. Moreover, it is not possible to observe the interactions of these microorganisms with the environment around them, instead of visualising the interactions in vivo, they are observed in vitro. This makes it very difficult to understand the action of the different active elements that combat them in the treatment of the diseases they can generate. Currently, microscopic structures are only observable through electron microscopes, which means observing them outside the human body. This means that researchers must imagine what the interaction of these structures with the human body would be like, so that only 3D animations are available to observe the behaviour of these microorganisms.

Researchers at the Universitat de València have developed software that allows for immersive interaction, i.e. the user can observe microorganisms and their interaction with the human body on a microscopic scale, as if they were actually inside the human body itself. To obtain an immersive visualisation, the system allows two paradigms of interaction to be used: virtual reality or augmented reality. Virtual reality immerses the user in the virtual environment itself, so that he or she can observe the simulation as if the user was microscopic in size and inside the body. This mode can be used in various types of devices: virtual reality headset or CAVE-type systems. Augmented reality allows the environment to be shown merged with the real environment, so that, although it is less immersive as it does not use a stereoscopic visualisation system, it does allow, for example, several users to view it through a handheld device (Tablet or Smartphone).

The main applications of this invention are addressed to the health sector:

• To obtain information from the various elements present in the simulation.
• To control the programmed actions of each element.
• To modify the visual properties of the elements.
• To make cuts to see the inside of an element.

The main advantages provided by the invention are:

• Visualisation of elements in a more immersive way, which improves understanding.
• Interaction to the visualisation.
• We have generated tools that allow the user to "cut" the structure being observed axially or longitudinally and to see its interior.
• We can navigate and place ourselves inside the microscopic structure to visualise it, explain it and understand its behaviour.

• Registered intellectual property