When most people think of a library, the first thing that comes to mind is books. But there’s more to Himmelfarb Library than just books, journals, databases, and research help. Himmelfarb has some exciting technology resources, including free 3D printing, Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, and a variety of anatomy resources like BodyViz, Primal Pictures Real Time Functional Anatomy, and our anatomy models.
3D Printing
Himmelfarb offers free 3D printing to all faculty, staff, and students of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the Milken Institute School of Public Health, the School of Nursing, and the MFA.
From custom prosthetics and implants to pharmaceutical research in drug dosage and delivery, 3D printing has numerous uses in the medical field. For students, 3D printing can be a fantastic learning tool. Students often use Himmelfarb’s 3D printers to print complex anatomical and molecular models. There are endless use cases for 3D printing in medical education, including heart and hand bone models, and negative space molds similar to the one used to create this silicone model of a human heart:
3D printing at Himmelfarb is as easy as completing a submission form! You’ll need an STL file (a blueprint of the print job) of the model you’d like to print. You can find high-quality, free 3D printing libraries online. Some great options include NIH 3D, Thingiverse, or Zortrax Library. If you have questions about 3D printing, contact Randy Plym (randy.plym@gwu.edu) or Catherine Sluder (crharris@gwu.edu).
VR Headsets
Our VR headsets come preloaded with the Medicalholodeck Medical VR platform, which includes Anatomy Master XR, Medical Imaging XR, and Dissection Master XR. Medicalholodeck is part cadaver lab and part textbook. You can explore high-resolution dissections layer-by-layer. The video demonstration below gives you an idea of what you’ll experience with Medicalholodeck:
VR headsets also have apps that can help you relax and relieve stress. Check out the guided meditation, nature treks, and National Geographic Explore VR apps on the headsets to take a break from the stress of life and recharge.
Want to give the VR headsets a try? Join us for our monthly VR headset demos, held on the last Wednesday of every month. Our next demo is on August 27, 2025, from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm on the first floor near the New Books shelf and the Circulation Desk.
BodyViz
Like Medicalholodeck, BodyViz is an interactive anatomy visualization tool that lets you view, study, and manipulate 3D anatomical structures. You can zoom in or out and rotate anatomical models to view them from different angles. You can also change the brightness, contrast, and color based on tissue density to highlight or filter out bone, muscles, organs, or vasculature. The BodyViz slicing software lets you digitally dissect models with precision, allowing for detailed inspection of the model. Preloaded with more than 1,000 datasets of human and animal models in healthy and pathological states, and different developmental stages, BodyViz is an amazing tool to help you take your anatomy knowledge to the next level!
BodyViz is available in the Levine Lounge (Himmelfarb 305A), adjacent to the Bloedorn Technology Center on Himmelfarb’s third floor. BodyViz materials are available for checkout at the circulation desk.
Primal Pictures Real Time Functional Anatomy
Have you ever wondered what your muscles are doing when you run, kick, or climb? Primal Pictures Real Time Functional Anatomy is a powerful 3D tool that lets you visualize and manipulate core functional movements in real-time, with 360-degree control to explore the human body at every angle! This resource includes detailed 3D graphic renderings of human anatomy. Gallery views feature musculoskeletal systems and layered neurovascular supply, functional animations with detailed descriptions of kinesiology, and goniometry animations with detailed descriptions of the goniometry technique.
Primal Pictures also includes more than 80 preset and editable views that align to movements to help visualize whole-body systems and explore musculature and neurovasculature. You can interact with figures by dissecting, hiding, and ghosting structures. You can use the edit tools to label, draw, and pin 3D models.
