UHealth Neurosurgeons First to Use Glass-Free 3D Imaging for Patient Care

By: Staff Writer | June 25, 2026 | 6 min. read |

Using the Eonis Vision platform, UHealth neurosurgeons are bringing CT and MRI scans to life as interactive 3D models, improving patient understanding, trust and surgical planning.

Dr. Michael Ivan wearing green surgical scrubs and a mixed‑reality headset holds out one hand while interacting with a virtual display in an operating room. A large monitor beside him shows an augmented‑reality view of a hand and operating room floor. Another medical staff member in scrubs stands in the background holding a mobile device. The room contains surgical equipment, carts, and medical supplies.

Neurosurgeons with UHealth — University of Miami Health System and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine are pioneering a new approach to patient engagement and education. The surgeons are the first in the world to use the Eonis Vision system, a glasses-free, 3D autostereoscopic imaging platform.

This platform was developed by Avatar Medical, in collaboration with Barco. It converts CT and MRI scans into interactive, patient-specific anatomical models, bringing patient anatomy to life and improving their understanding of their conditions and care plans.

Improving Patient understanding, Trust and Decision-Making

The Eonis Vision system allows physicians to generate interactive, patient-specific, 3D holographic-like models directly from standard medical scans. Unlike traditional two-dimensional images, the system allows experts to present immersive, manipulable representations of a patient’s own anatomy. Physicians and patients can rotate, zoom, and explore these models in real time, making it easier to understand the location and complexity of tumors, vascular structures, and surgical pathways.

“This is something that really does change the clinic experience,” said Michael Ivan, M.D., M.B.S., a professor of neurological surgery and director of skull-base surgery at the Miller School. Dr. Ivan is a nationally recognized leader in brain tumor surgery at UHealth. “The patients gain so much more information about their condition and treatment in the same amount of time, which lowers their anxiety while improving their understanding.”

Dr. Michael Ivan in white clinic coat — Dr. Michael Ivan

The Avatar Medical platform integrates seamlessly into clinical workflows, connecting with electronic medical records and other hospital infrastructure. Avatar Medical’s software converts imaging data into interactive 3D anatomy within seconds, enabling physicians to access and display their models instantly, without hours of preparation or technical hurdles. This is important for Dr. Ivan, because it means more time focused on meaningful conversations with patients about their care.

Enhancing Patient Understanding and Trust

Dr. Ivan sees this new, patient-centered approach as beneficial to patients who are eager for clear information about serious medical conditions.

“To get patients to really understand, anatomically, what’s happening in their brain, in their face, their neck, their spine…it’s so much easier if you have a 3D representation of their own body,” he said. “Not just a model, but an accurate representation of their own body that you can move and rotate.”

This personalized visualization is especially valuable in neurosurgery, where the anatomy is complex.

UHealth neurosurgeon Dr. Ricardo Komotar wearing a white lab coat and blue tie, standing with hands clasped against a neutral gray background. The coat displays University of Miami Miller School of Medicine branding and an embroidered name and specialty. — Dr. Ricardo Komotar

“We’ll be able to see, for example, that there’s an artery wrapped around a tumor in 3D or show which part of the bone that we need to drill during a procedure, and what nerves or arteries are at risk, which is incredibly important,” said Ricardo Komotar, M.D., professor of clinical neurological surgery and co-director of the Sylvester Brain Tumor Institute. “Being able to explain that to people puts them at ease and really makes that patient-physician connection much easier. It helps them trust you.”

Efficiency and Workflow

The technology adds to the department’s growing of advanced tools aimed at helping prioritize patient-physician interactions in the exam room setting. By leveraging the Eonis Vision system, these consultations can take place seamlessly within the existing clinical workflow, without added complexity or prep time.

“This type of software is fast, user-friendly, doesn’t require 3D glasses and doesn’t require clinicians to prepare for several hours the day before for consultations with patients,” said Dr. Komotar. “It will help us get the most out of every second that you’re with the patient and get them to understand what is going on and what the plan is. That’s incredibly impactful.”