GLAUCOMA EWAP JUNE 2022 31 With many expanding technologies in ophthalmology, it makes sense that teaching modalities in the field would expand as well. Anuradha Khanna, MD, created the OcuSim virtual reality training, designed to be used specifically with the Oculus headset, to help teach some of the anatomy and knowledge needed in ophthalmic training. Dr. Khanna explained how she developed this technology and how it’s used at her university. Meenakshi Chaku, MD, discussed how she½s finding it particularly useful in glaucoma education and training. Dr. Khanna noted that she was getting commendations for her teaching, and this motivated her to look at how adults learn and what educators need. When deciding what to pursue, Dr. Khanna said she came upon virtual reality and in 2010 decided that she was going to write a 3D book in ophthalmology. In 2014, she was able to create the first prototype, and she introduced it in the ophthalmology department at Loyola University, where they began to use it for medical students and residents. Dr. Khanna created a 3D model of the eye with anatomy and was able to correlate clinical pathology as well. In virtual reality, there is the capability of instant dissection that is color coded and easily understandable, she said, and students can practice what’s going on clinically and how to diagnose the patient. Dr. Khanna was in the middle of expanding content for this model when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the hardware and learning center she was using became inaccessible. “I had more time, so I thought maybe we needed something more mobile,” she said, adding that this is how she began to develop the module now known as OcuSim. Dr. Khanna made the technology compatible with the Oculus headset and found the option was well received. The company donated a number of headsets to her university. Immersing students in the eye can help prepare them with the fundamental concepts, Dr. Khanna said. “They can go in and look at every structure,” she said. “Then when they read [ophthalmology textbooks], they garner a lot more information in the first read of the book, and they’re understanding more than just the basics in a lecture and can get concept clarity.” In terms of others who have developed similar technology, Dr. Khanna said there has been some success in surgical procedures. But her aim is to take a step back to examine the anatomy, physiology, and what the disease looks like clinically. OcuSim allows residents to review structures of the angle, which offers experience prior to surgical wet labs. They can use the technology in the classroom on their own, she added. Dr. Chaku teaches the glaucoma curriculum to residents at Loyola University and said she is excited about OcuSim. She noted the importance of understanding the mechanism of action of the disease and how to decide which treatment option to use. Using virtual reality for glaucoma training by Ellen Stodola Editorial Co-Director This article originally appeared in the April 2022 issue of EyeWorld. It has been slightly modified and appears here with permission from the ASCRS Ophthalmic Services Corp. Contact information Chaku: MEE A - I. A 1Jlumc.edu Khanna: anuradha_khanna@hotmail.com Residents participate in the OcuSim virtual reality training at Loyola University. Source: Anuradha Khanna, MD
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