Doctors produce 3D view of the inside of COVID-19 patient's lungs
Doctor hopes to educate public
Doctor hopes to educate public
Doctor hopes to educate public
A doctor has created a virtual rendering of what the inside of a lung of a patient with the coronavirus looks like, he believes it will send a powerful message to the public.
It is a first of its kind view inside the lungs of a patient with COVID-19. The patient is a man in his late 50s who initially had a fever and a non-productive cough according to Dr. Keith Mortman. Mortman is chief of thoracic surgery at George Washington University Hospital.
鈥淭he respiratory symptoms progressed quite rapidly, to the point where he had to be intubated and put on the ventilator,鈥� said Mortman.
A 360掳 rendering showed what the virus does to the human body.
鈥淲hat you鈥檙e seeing in the video, essentially the blue part is the more normal lung, but anything you鈥檙e seeing that鈥檚 yellow is lung that鈥檚 being destroyed by the virus,鈥� Mortman said.
The rendering was created in partnership with a company called Surgical Theater that used a patients CAT scan to create an interactive model.
鈥淚t鈥檚 quite alarming to see, in all honesty. Because unlike your garden variety pneumonia that might affect only one small part of the lung, or unlike the common flu, what you鈥檙e seeing in this video is really the widespread diffuse damage to the lung,鈥� Mortman said.
Mortman鈥檚 hope is that the technology can help medical professionals on the front lines, but he also wants members of the public to see the images for themselves.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really to educate them,鈥� Mortman said. 鈥淚 really want them to see this and understand the damage that鈥檚 being done to the lungs, the severity of the disease that this is causing. Perhaps, maybe they think twice before having a house-party or going outside with large groups.鈥�