Biomedical scientific animations

Biomedical scientific animations – or simply, medical animations – are detailed 2D or 3D movies (or a combination). They communicate technical, temporal or process-based medical and scientific information in a motion-format presentation, usually tailored to an intended audience’s knowledge level. They are used for educational purposes in the healthcare, litigation, biomedical research, marketing and teaching fields. Visualizations created by medical animators can be found in patient education materials, websites, online textbooks and apps, scientific journals, pharmaceutical communications and many other healthcare-related communications.

Medical animations can include:

Healthcare animations, a subset of scientific animations, are utilized in the medical field by physicians and other healthcare workers, marketing agencies, MedTech and BioTech companies (including start-ups), medical device innovators, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, academics and more, to achieve their communication and business goals.

A biomedical animated explainer video is a teaching tool that uses animation, voice-over, text, and sometimes video footage, to make a complex topic in science and medicine more intelligible.

Medical device animations visualize cutting-edge innovations, showing how diagnostic and treatment technologies work, in a clear motion-based format that’s visually appealing and easy to follow.

Pharmaceutical animations are highly rendered and visually striking movies that explain the science and medicine associated with a medication. After viewing this kind of visual presentation, physicians and patients have a better understanding of how a drug works (mechanism of action), what parts of the body it affects, and what physiological pathways are involved.

Pharma images ‘zoom in’ to show what the eye cannot see, elucidating things such as a drug’s unique structure, how it’s absorbed by the body, how it acts on the desired target tissue, details of molecular activity and how it’s eliminated from the body. Often these actions are never seen but inferred through experimentation. A pharma illustration or animation brings benchwork results to life.

Whiteboard animations are a type of explainer video, composed of images that are drawn in accelerated speed or time-lapse, often with an animated marker creating figures, words, tables, and other didactic tools to communicate critical messaging. Often with an integrated voice-over, they succinctly highlight information to allow a viewer to readily comprehend a given topic. The inherent technique of mimicking a classroom setting makes these animations simple, engaging and informative.

2D animations are movies that create the illusion of movement by manipulating visual components (environments, characters or objects) in a two-dimensional space, using artwork (e.g., illustrations) and other elements that are sequenced together. The production technique is called 2D animation because width and height are the only dimensions that are varied.

3D animations are movies that create the illusion of motion by using computer-generated visual effects, digital elements and precisely programmed timing in virtual three-dimensional space. The objects, characters and environments appear on a two-dimensional screen but mimic real-world principles, allowing for 360-degree views of them. It is called 3D animation because width, height and virtual depth are manipulated to create the motion portrayal.

Biomedical scientific (medical) illustrations

Biomedical scientific illustrations – or simply, medical illustrations – are still images that communicate biomedical and technical issues to foster understanding and retention of complex medical, technical or scientific information. They are used for educational purposes within the fields of patient education, healthcare, litigation, medical and scientific research, marketing and teaching. Visualizations created by medical illustrators can be found in patient education materials, websites, medical textbooks, scientific journals, pharmaceutical communications and many other healthcare-related communications.

Biomedical scientific illustrations can include:

Detailed portrayals of the human body’s internal structures, including tissues (e.g., bones and muscles), organs and systems.

Typically step-by-step depictions that show the key stages of a medical procedure, but also post-operative views.

Depictions of diseased or injured structures, organs, limbs, or tissues, demonstrating the presentation of medical conditions, illnesses, or trauma.

Schematic portrayals of the relationships associated with processes – such as physiological actions, disease pathways, or chemical interactions (e.g., drugs).

Visual depictions oriented for non-medically trained lay people to understand healthcare related concepts such as medical conditions, operative procedures, implanted devices, or treatments.

Figures created for use in scientific or research publications to communicate data, experiments and findings, in a clear manner, typically to augment the written component of the article.

These images demonstrate cutting-edge innovations, showing how diagnostic or treatment technologies work, in a visually appealing and understandable manner.

Scientific drawings are explanatory diagrams used by physicians, healthcare marketing and communications departments, MedTech and BioTech companies, nurses and lab technicians, medical device innovators, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, academics and more, to achieve their communication goals.

An explainer video is a short movie that communicates how a process, service or product works in a simple, engaging and efficient manner to a target audience. It is often used to convey ideas, concepts or protocols to educate and inform the viewer.

The patient population gains significant benefits from viewing medical education images that take the form of illustrations and animations. These may be displayed in clinics, posted on social media, or mounted on websites, to explain scientific concepts. Healthcare treaters, especially for consent purposes, have a duty to clearly inform their patients to ensure they understand pre-op instructions, concepts of what a surgery entails, and post-op instructions.

BioTech images visually depict scientific innovations involving organisms or biological processes and systems. These visuals often demonstrate concepts that can’t be perceived by the naked eye, such as microscopic structures and molecular interactions.

Clinical trial visuals are illustrations or animations that educate surgeons about how an innovation (including a medical device) can be seamlessly integrated into their current workflow, facilitating recruitment of surgeons to use the device in clinical trials. See also patient recruitment visuals.

A common target for medical device animations is the prospective patient, for purposes of early-stage recruitment. Innovation images created for this purpose, communicate disease concepts to allow patients to identify as trial candidates. The visuals contain a simplified, concise message that is understandable by the general public, covering areas such as pathology basics, enrolment requirements, an overview of the procedure, intended outcomes and potential complications.

Instructions for Use or IFUs are documents or presentations (e.g., animations) that communicate in writing and/or visual format, the proper use of a medical product, device, or medication, including precautions, intended purpose, maintenance, monitoring and disposal instructions. One form of IFU is a Surgical training manual (STM), which typically includes extensive medical visuals.

A storyboard is a step-by-step visual flow of a movie or interactive presentation, that breaks down key actions into individual frames that show how it will unfold. Key elements include sketches (and sometimes photos), scene descriptions, voice-over wording (script), camera motion indications, shot sequencing and annotations.

A color comp (composition) or mock-up is a high-fidelity artistic rendering of a scene. It is designed to show the style of the final look and feel and gives the viewer a sense of how the finished product will appear. Mock-ups can be used for instructional or experimental purposes or to gain the confidence of stakeholders for what the final deliverable will be.

An animation script provides the words a voice-artist records to add an audio channel of information to augment the visual content of a movie. See also voice-over.

A voice-over (VO or v/o) is an audio track of a narrator integrated into a video, animation or other motion or interactive media, typically without showing the speaker. The spoken words describe content and otherwise augment the visual elements of the storytelling.

Other Definitions

Visualizations are the graphical representation of information, concepts or data, in a clear and concise manner. They take the form of diagrams or other images that are accessible and understandable. Conversion of information into visual formats like illustrations, charts, graphs, maps, animations, or other graphics, facilitates understanding, assists in analysis of ideas, and fosters insights.

Data visualizations use graphical elements in the form of charts and graphs as well as maps to understand patterns and trends as well as outliers.

A medical illustrator is a professional artist who has a unique combination of advanced education and experience in medical life sciences and visual communication. In North America, many medical illustrators hold a Master’s Degree from a specialized department within a medical school. Science courses incorporated into their studies typically include human anatomy, embryology, neuroanatomy, pathology and histology.

Medical illustrators are visual problem-solvers, often researching scientific, medical and technical topics and translating that complex information into visual images that communicate anatomy, surgery and other health-related information in an accessible visual format. Their intent is to enhance communication and foster understanding to a varied audience – from highly-educated physicians to lay people, using compelling and accurate visualizations of biomedical concepts.

See also Accredited school of medical illustration and Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) and Certified Medical Illustrator (CMI).

Some medical illustrators are certified by the Board of Certification of the Association of Medical Illustrators – which requires formal academic training, as well as ongoing professional development, to acquire and maintain certification. The designation of Certified Medical Illustrator (CMI) requires proven competency in the field with a written entrance exam and portfolio review, as well as the ongoing acquisition of continuing education credits. Certification indicates a high degree of competence and professionalism in the field.

The Association of Medical Illustrators is a professional organization of individuals trained and working in the field of medical illustration and associated visual communication specialities. The AMI provides a forum for professional development, exchange of knowledge, ideation in the industry, and networking. With associated sharing of experience, collaboration on projects, and continuing education (including conferences, workshops and lectures), members stay up to date on medical visualization techniques and technology, biomedical science advancements and industry trends.

The Journal of Biocommunications is the professional journal of the AMI and the BioCommunications Association. The publication documents research findings, case studies and other articles on biomedical visual communications, and showcases biocommunication imaging applicable to the health sciences.

The AMI offers membership participation at the professional, associate and student levels, for those working or studying in the field of medical visual communications or affiliated with it.

There are five graduate programs of medical illustration in North America, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). These are overseen and reviewed by the Accreditation Review Committee for the Medical Illustrator (ARC-MI). More information on the rigor of this accreditation system is available on the CAAHEP website. The North American programs are offered at the following institutions:

  • Augusta University (formerly Georgia Regents University)
  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
  • Rochester Institute of Technology
  • University of Illinois at Chicago
  • University of Toronto

The Institute of Medical Illustrators (IMI) manages the European accreditation program. The accredited European programs are listed on the IMI education page.