A New Way to View Medical Imaging Data With Looking Glass
Medical imaging is one of the most powerful tools in modern healthcare. It allows doctors to diagnose conditions, plan treatments, and provide life-saving care. However, while scanning technology has advanced to capture rich, three-dimensional data, these scans are still most commonly viewed in 2D - limiting how we interact with and interpret them.
Many of our modern ultrasounds, MRIs, and CT scans collect detailed 3D information. But despite this, the images are almost always flattened onto a two-dimensional screen - forcing doctors, researchers, and even patients to mentally reconstruct depth relationships that already exist in the data.
That’s where Looking Glass comes in.
Looking Glass displays let viewers experience medical scans and models in true depth—no headsets required—unlocking new ways to visualize, learn from, and interact with them.
Looking Glass displays allow medical professionals, educators, and patients to see these scans in true 3D, just as they were meant to be seen. By bringing depth, perspective, and interactivity to medical imaging, Looking Glass can help bridge the gap between flat 2D representations and real-world understanding.
A More Intuitive Way to View Medical Scans
Our holographic displays allow you to see, interact with, and explore 3D data in real 3D. In the medical field, that means unlocking new ways to visualize and connect with critical information.
Why does that matter? Because depth and perspective are crucial in healthcare.
🩺 Stronger Patient Connection – Expecting parents can interact with their ultrasound scans in 3D, seeing their baby from every angle and forming a deeper emotional connection.
🎓 Enhanced Medical Education – Students and practitioners can study human anatomy in true 3D, enhancing learning, diagnostics, and real-world training.
🔬 Advancing Medical Research – Researchers can explore how holographic imaging could improve diagnostics, surgical planning, and patient outcomes.
Despite the advancements in how medical imaging data is captured, the way we view and interpret these scans hasn't evolved at the same pace.
An example of how Looking Glass displays can be used to study and inspect anatomical models with tools such as our 3D model viewer.
The 4D Ultrasound Demo App
To help demonstrate how 3D medical imaging can be experienced in full depth, we created the 4D Ultrasound Demo App - a first look at what’s possible when medical professionals and patients interact with holographic medical imaging.
This interactive demo provides a hands-on way to explore ultrasound scans on a Looking Glass display.
Instead of viewing a single, static 2D image, users can rotate, zoom and adjust the lighting and depth settings to visualize anatomical structures in a way that feels intuitive and immersive.
The app was built using our Unity Plugin, showing how developers, researchers, and educators can integrate customizable holographic visualizations into their own applications.
The Future of Medical Imaging in 3D
Medical imaging captures immense levels of detail, allowing us to see what can’t be seen with the naked eye. Yet, the way we view and interact with these scans hasn’t evolved to match.
With Looking Glass, that can change.
As holographic display technology continues to evolve, medical imaging could be one of its most impactful applications - from diagnostics and patient engagement to surgical planning, medical training, research, and beyond.
To the future!
Try the 4D Ultrasound Demo App Today
🔗 Download the 4D Ultrasound Demo App and explore the future of medical imaging.
Join our community, share your thoughts, and let’s shape the era of 3D for everyone, together.
3D heart animation by ScienceTle (via Sketchfab)
3D DNA strand by Holoxica (via Sketchfab)
3D anatomical body by Hepl3d (via Sketchfab)