Using mixed reality headsets, students can see each other but also interact with a 3D patient.
The university said that medical students at Cambridge are the first in the world to learn from holographic patients. Students at Addenbrooke’s Hospital use a new mixed reality training system called HoloScenarios, which allows teaching and learning using photorealistic 3D images accessible from anywhere in the world.
The technology is being developed by the NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) of Cambridge University Hospitals and the University of Cambridge and Los Angeles-based technology company GigXR.
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The developers say it could provide more flexible and cost-effective training than traditional simulators, which require more resources and expenditures for lab maintenance and patient staffing.
Using mixed reality headsets, students can see each other but also interact with a medically accurate, multi-layered 3D patient, developers say.
Students will take several modules using technology, the first of which focuses on respiratory and emergency situations.
This is the holographic patient with asthma, followed by anaphylaxis, pulmonary embolism, and pneumonia.
Other units in Cardiology and Neurology are under development.
Dr Arun Gupta, Consultant Anesthesia at CUH, who is leading the project, said: “Mixed reality is increasingly being recognized as a useful method for simulation training.
“As organizations expand their purchases, the demand for platforms that provide mixed reality learning and manageability services is expanding rapidly.
GigXR has already enabled teachers to better prepare students with clinically accurate simulations of monitoring and evaluation.
“With HoloScenarios, we help advance education from a mentoring-based model to one where students around the world can gain an equal amount of first-class knowledge to master invention-based clinical skills.”
David King Lassman, founder of GigXR, said: “Educating the trainers with a 360-degree preparation for clinical practice is a milestone for GigXR that allows us to provide our clients with a library of applications that provide solutions for students from the first days of training courses to follow-up education.
“Our first HoloScenarios module represents an incredibly powerful new way to use mixed reality in healthcare training, to be followed by many new modules and applications to be delivered soon.”
Charlotte Whitmore is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a broad range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and practical information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism that keeps readers connected to the issues shaping the UK and beyond.