Biomedical image visualization research using the Visible Human Datasets

Abstract

The practice of medicine and conduct of research in major segments of the biologic sciences have always relied on visualizations to study the relationship of anatomic structure to biologic function. Traditionally, these visualizations have either been direct, via vivisection and postmortem examination, or have required extensive mental reconstruction. The revolutionary capabilities of 3-D and 4-D medical imaging modalities, together with computer reconstruction and rendering of multidimensional medical and histological volume image data, obviate the need for physical dissection or abstract assembly. The availability of the Visible Human Datasets from the National Library of Medicine, coupled with the development of advanced computer algorithms to accurately and rapidly process, segment, register, measure, and display high resolution 3-D images, has provided a rich opportunity to help advance these important new imaging, visualization, and analysis methodologies from scientific theory to clinical practice.

A Virtual Reality Simulation Model of Spinal Ultrasound

“…Boet et al 17 and Park et al 18 have both shown that training on virtual reality simulators for fiber-optic intubation 17 and colonoscopy 18 improved clinical performance. The model studied by Boet et al 13 was very similar to our spine ultrasound model, as their model did not provide immersion or haptic feedback. Despite this, residents training on their model using the computer mouse or keyboard were more successful in performing fiber-optic intubation on patients than their counterparts who received only a didactic lecture.…”

“…The 3-dimensional (3D) anatomic models were built from axial computed tomographic (CT) images and cryosections of a male model from the National Institute of Health Visible Human Dataset. 13 The images of the cryosections capture the soft tissues and were used to create the anatomy module. The CT images of the lumbar spine were incrementally modified to assume the flexed position in which spinal anesthesia is usually performed and were used to create the rotatable 3D image of the lumbar spine.…”

On mixed reality environments for minimally invasive therapy guidance: Systems architecture, successes and challenges in their implementation from laboratory to clinic

“…The first simulated surgery for tendon transplants was published in 1989 and an abdominal surgery simulator was reported in 1991 [19]. Graphical representations of realistic images of the human torso, accompanied by deformable models, and later complemented by more realistic simulations of a variety of medical procedures using the Visible Human Dataset from the National Library of Medicine in 1994 were published in [20,21]. Virtual endoscopy had its beginnings in the mid-1990s and experienced simultaneous developments from several groups; by the late-1990s a wide variety of imaging, advanced visualization, and mixed reality systems were developed and employed in medicine [22].…”

Freely-Available, True-Color Volume Rendering Software and Cryohistology Data Sets for Virtual Exploration of the Temporal Bone Anatomy

“…These systems provide virtual simulations [8,9] with some enhanced with haptic feedback [8,10,11,12,13]. Different visualization methods and applications allow rendering of full-color (RGB) image stacks such that they appear in life-like color [14,15,16,17,18,19,20], but there are very few which are available in the public domain and are open-source [21,22]. Despite this, input data for true-color rendering histology slices (RGB images) are freely available from whole body human cryo-histology [23,24,25].…”