Medical Illustration

The article deals with medical illustration in view of the integration of new technologies in the biomedical segment. This field is at the intersection of science and art, becoming a self-sufficient tool in education thanks to technology. There has been a tremendous evolution from illustrations and sculpture, made in the tradition of the academic school, to molecular visualization and animation, and surgical simulations made possible by augmented reality.

Thanks to the leap in the development of science and technology in the 20th century, a new trend emerged: design. These days, it is design that has taken root in many social fields, largely due to its diversity: illustration, graphic design, animation and 3D modeling.

Now is the era of new biomedical illustrations: exactly like high-tech laser microscope shots, but stylish, in the best traditions of modern design and high art

Each of these directions has internal offshoots and the possibility of combining with others. It is because of this diffusion, as well as advanced rendering capabilities and visualization techniques, that design has also found its application in science, not as an auxiliary object, but as a self-sufficient tool. Medical illustration as a profession combines medicine and design. The first references date back to the 1500s, when Andreas Vesalius published the first anatomical atlas based on a human model. Since that time, medical illustrators (or biomedical communication specialists) have been visualizing the human body and other aspects of biology and medicine. Thanks to modern illustrators, medical aids are being taken to a new level. Biomedical animations and illustrations are created not only for students in medical programs, but also for a general audience, contributing to a more progressive and erudite society.

In addition to colorful and seemingly fantastic cytology or immune imaging, illustration and animation are used to create promos for medical devices as well as surgeries and therapies.

Technologies used in medical visualization

No matter what medical illustration used to look like, it is modern technology and, in particular, microscopes and lenses that have taken it to a new level. Modern technical equipment (such as SEM or ZeissLSM880 and NikonRts2000mp) in biological laboratories makes it possible to capture the circulatory and nervous systems of animals and humans, as well as cells. Thanks to such a technological breakthrough, the use of Blender, Maya, Octave, Photoshop and Illustrator, already seemingly commonplace in the design environment, has begun to look different. Now is the era of new biomedical illustrations: exactly like high-tech laser microscope images, but stylish, in the best traditions of modern design and high art.