It pumps, beats and swells just like the real thing, but a new "virtual" model of a human heart could improve the quality of training for medical students without a drop of blood being spilled, researchers say.

Created by heart specialists from the University College Hospital (UCH), London, and computer animation experts, the Heartworks model is a representation of a working heart designed to be viewed from any angle in photorealistic detail. In a teaching context, it will be combined with a mannequin simulator to teach cardiac anatomy and ultrasound heart exams for trainee doctors where no such models previously existed.

Developed in conjunction with Glassworks, an award-winning animation company, the technology behind the model is NVIDIA's graphics chips, which can provide around 100 times the processing power of a normal microchip and up to now have been used to make video games more realistic.

Sir Magdi Yacoub, professor of cardiac surgery at UCH and a pioneer of heart transplant techniques, said that the model was "the very best I have seen for some years".

"It shows the anatomy and function of the heart very accurately and is what you expect to see," he added. "This will have great impact on managing patients. This is just wonderful."

More details on the heart can be found at: www.heartworks.me.uk

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