Using Confocal Microscopy to Generate an Accurate Vascular Model for Use in Patient Education Animation.

Hypertension is a condition requiring lifelong medication, where patients often feel well with or without treatment. Uncontrolled hypertension, however, can lead to permanent remodelling processes that occur to the vascular structure, which are seldom understood by the public. As a result, a significant burden is placed on healthcare systems globally as a result of the effects of hypertension and lack of adherence to prescribed treatment.Improving patient education through well-designed interactive applications and animation is a known strategy that can improve adherence rates to medication. In the context of hypertension, little attention has been given to helping patients understand the unseen damage that occurs to vessels exposed to high blood pressure. However, generating an accurate representation of a vessel and the changes that occur can be challenging. Using microscopy data is one way for creating an anatomically correct model, but this often needs careful consideration as data cannot be directly imported. Here we describe methods for creating an accurate 3D model of a small artery using confocal microscopy data. This model can then be animated to demonstrate the substructures and pathological changes that occur in hypertensive conditions to better inform patients about the dangers of uncontrolled blood pressure.