University of Batangas formally launches highly-advanced medical education equipment: Anatomage Table Version 8

University of Batangas (UB) faculty and students have formally been granted access to a modern medical education device.

In a ribbon-cutting ceremony held last August 17, 2022 at the College of Allied and Medical Sciences (CAMS), UB officials and administrators formally launched the Anatomage Table Version 8 (ATV 8). The device, which was manufactured by U.S.-based medical equipment company Anatomage, enables students and teachers to dissect a virtual human body instead of an actual specimen.

The ceremony launching the device began with an opening prayer led by Ms. Alejandra D. Macalalad, a senior-year CAMS student taking up Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. The singing of the national anthem then followed. From that point, UB President Dr. Hernando B. Perez gave a speech, which was followed by a short video presentation showcasing ATV 8.

After the video, UB officials and administrators cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially launch the use of ATV 8. Among those present in the ribbon-cutting include Board of Regents Chairman Atty. Jesus Mayo, Senior Vice President for Administration Mr. Alex Ramos, CAMS Dean Dr. Abegayle Maychelle Perez-Chua, CAMS Faculty Member Ms. Judith Amazona, and College of Nursing and Midwifery Dean Dr. Sofia Catibog.

The ribbon cutting was followed by a speech courtesy of Atty. Mayo and Dr. Perez-Chua. The CAMS Dean emphasized in her speech that UB is the first university in the country to have Version 8 of the Anatomage dissection table. She added that UB’s CAMS and CNM are also the first colleges of their kind in the country to possess this cutting-edge educational device.

Dr. Perez-Chua also highlighted the fact that the university faculty can access online the anatomical images and information from the Anatomage table, making advanced distance education possible for the university’s CAMS and CNM students in case of emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following her speech, CAMS Faculty Member and Physical Therapy lecturer Mr. Mark Nino Iman Mallari also conducted a demonstration of the Anatomage table. He showed how the device can enable students to “cut open” a highly-detailed and colored representation of the human body. Mr. Mallari and Dr. Perez-Chua also showed that the analysis of the human body can go down even into the microscopic level.

Both Mr. Mallari and Dr. Perez-Chua also demonstrated animations from the Anatomage table, which indicated how and what muscles move specific bones of the body. In this context, Dr. Perez-Chua mentioned the possibility of using the high-tech table to teach athletes how to move efficiently and effectively during sports competitions.

Selected students from UB’s Senior High School and Junior High School were also watching the demonstration via connected television screens in adjacent rooms. After watching the demonstration, they were eventually allowed to experience the Anatomage machine up close under the guidance of Mr. Mallari.