Advanced Simulation and Training for Airborne Contamination Control

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) remain a critical global challenge, with airborne transmission representing a particularly insidious and often underestimated threat. These invisible contaminants not only endanger vulnerable patients but also place healthcare workers at risk. Despite advances in medical infrastructure, predictive tools to address airborne transmission have lagged—until now.

At the forefront of innovation is a transformative approach: simulating the invisible through advanced digital technologies.

A Breakthrough in Realism: The Human Virtual Twin

Central to this approach is the development of a high-fidelity Human Virtual Twin—an anatomically and physiologically accurate digital model that mimics real human respiration and particle emission. Unlike generic particle sources, this technology introduces precise realism to airborne contamination modeling.

When integrated into a detailed Hospital Virtual Twin, this system creates a dynamic, interactive digital environment. Here, clinicians and researchers can analyze airflow, spatial dynamics, and ventilation to understand and anticipate how airborne particles propagate in real-world clinical settings.

Real-World Validation: Hospital Saint Louis

This technology was piloted at Hospital Saint Louis in Paris, specifically within its post-operative care unit—a high-risk, multi-occupancy setting. The simulation captured how contaminants travel through patient interactions, HVAC systems, and staff movement patterns. These insights provided infection control teams with unprecedented visibility into invisible threats, guiding improvements in room design, patient placement, and operational protocols.

Scaling Impact: From Rooms to Entire Facilities

Beyond individual rooms, this simulation technology has been scaled to model entire hospital wards. Key capabilities include:

• Large-scale particle propagation analysis to detect contamination hotspots
• Detailed ventilation flow modeling to identify pathways that exacerbate or mitigate risk
• Particle age tracking to evaluate how long airborne threats linger

These insights empower infection control teams to move beyond intuition and static guidelines, enabling proactive, evidence-based strategies that are validated before implementation.

Immersive Training with Augmented Reality

To ensure these simulations translate into practical change, the technology is delivered through an immersive augmented reality (AR) interface developed by the 3DEXCITE PIONEERS. This platform allows healthcare professionals to experience contamination scenarios as if they were physically present—walking through airflow patterns and observing particle movement in real time.

In collaboration with Dr. Guillaume Mellon, Head of the Infection Prevention and Control Unit at Hospital Saint Louis, this AR system was deployed in a comprehensive training program. Over 200 healthcare workers participated in a controlled study evaluating the impact on knowledge and behavior.

Demonstrated Results

The effectiveness of this immersive training was measured at two intervals—immediately post-training and three months later—with impressive outcomes:

• 30% improvement in correctly defining airborne transmission
• 80% identified ventilation as a key factor (up from 45% without AR)
• 75% recognized AR as a valuable learning tool
• 90% reported improved understanding of airflow and pathogen spread

These findings confirm that immersive, simulation-based education not only enhances knowledge retention but also fosters long-term behavioral change.

Expanding Access Through Virtual Twin as a Service (VTaaS)

Building on this success, the initiative is now entering its deployment phase with the launch of Virtual Twin as a Service (VTaaS)—a modular, adaptable platform suited to hospitals of all sizes. Supported by a robust outreach campaign, this solution aims to make simulation-based infection control a standard resource for healthcare providers worldwide.

A New Standard for Hospital Safety

With high-fidelity simulation and immersive AR training, hospitals are no longer confined to reactive strategies. Instead, they gain the ability to predict, test, and prevent airborne contamination events before they occur.

By rendering the invisible visible, we are empowering healthcare systems to make smarter, faster, and safer decisions—creating a more resilient, protective environment for both patients and professionals.