Google's new Body Browser could be a valuable tool for physicians -- helping them explain medical conditions and surgeries to patients, among other things. It will also be of value to medical educators and students. One possible drawback, though, is that some people might be tempted to use it for self-diagnosis, which could be dangerous. "Information from the Internet nearly killed my daughter," warned author Robert Goldberg. "Twice."
With Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) announcement Thursday of the Body Browser, online mapping technology finally caught up with the medical crew of "Fantastic Voyage," miniaturized in the 1966 sci-fi flick to enter a renowned scientist's bloodstream and save his brain from a life-threatening blood clot.
A Chrome-OS driven online Gray's Anatomy, Body Browser continues Google's quest to map everything, now including the human body.
"Body Browser is a detailed, interactive 3D model," Google representative Jason Freidenfelds told TechNewsWorld. "You can search, explore different layers of human anatomy, rotate, and zoom in on parts you're interested in. Perhaps it's analogous to the way geospatial imagery has made it easier to explore the world in engaging and informative ways."
To view the publicly available demo at Google Labs, users will need a WebGL-enabled browser, "such as the just-updated version of Google Chrome Beta," Freidenfelds explained. "WebGL is a standard that allows you to visualize complex 3D graphics in the browser without a plug-in."
After visualizing it himself, Samieh Rizk, M.D., said Body Browser is "a fascinating tool."
"As a facial plastic surgeon, I can see using Body Browser to educate patients," said Rizk, who directs Manhattan Facial Plastic Surgery, and on his website offers a 3D tour of his office and surgical suite. "For example, when I explain to a patient that his nasal septum is deviated, or the smoker's lines around a woman's mouth are caused by the obicularis muscle contracting, I can show them, and they will get it."
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