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GMU C4I Center Seminar
Simulation and Virtual Reality in Learning, Medicine, and Military Applications
Dr. Jim X. Chen
Department of Computer Science
Friday, September 22, 2006
ABSTRACT
Seminar overview of Fluid Simulation, Edutainment, Knee Surgery Assistance, Temporal Bone, and Human Anatomy for learning, medicine, and military applications.
Realistic simulation of natural phenomena is very important in training. We present our innovative methods in achieving fluid and graphics effects. These effects have broad applications, including learning abstract concepts and virtual environments for military training.
A knee surgery assistance system is constructed to include generating patient-specific 3D knee models from patient's magnetic resonant images (MRIs), simulating knee motion on the patient-specific knee model, and visualizing biomechanical information on the model. The system supports virtual surgery study and practices. Our work is the first effort in integrating 3D reconstruction, motion simulation, and biomechanical visualization into one system.
A new method of generating and reconstructing 3-dimensional temporal bone models will be discussed. The human temporal bone contains tiny, delicate, and detailed anatomic structures and because of its complexity, it has been challenging for an otolaryngology surgeon to envision, master, and research the anatomic interrelationships. We provide more accurate and detailed geometrical data for the 3-dimensional reconstruction, including subtle tiny structures by serially-sectioned and undecalcified polymer-embedded specimen preparation. Extremely thin and precise cuts of the specimen are achieved to provide undistorted delicate 2D micro-anatomical information for accurate 3D reconstruction. Many previously unreconstructed 3D structures have been successfully and accurately created.
To learn human anatomy, medical students must practice on cadavers, as must physicians when they want to brush up on their anatomy knowledge. However, cadavers are in short supply in medical schools. Virtual anatomy and surgery can potentially solve this problem. We present a system VHASS (Virtual Human Anatomy and Surgery System) that is based on reconstructing the human body using cryosection images, which are cross-section natural color images generated by slicing a frozen cadaver. By constructing 3D models that include details of human organs, we can give medical students and physicians unlimited access to realistic virtual cadavers.