Doctors to study human anatomy on holodeck


By Michel Comte
Agence France-Presse
Last updated 00:34am (Mla time) 05/25/2007


OTTAWA--Canadian scientists have created the world's first virtual computer model of a human body, translating a litany of complex medical and genomic data into 4D images to test drugs and surgeons' skills.

The virtual man with his skin and skeleton removed to display every vein, artery and organ, floating in a small, dark room with more than 3,000 body parts projected from walls and the floor, was unveiled at the University of Calgary this week, in western Canada.

Known as CAVEman, he is anatomically perfect and ready to be manipulated at the click of a button on a computer, holding the key to understanding complex diseases and human development, say its creators.

"The image almost comes alive," Andrei Turinsky, a researcher at the University of Calgary's department of biochemistry and molecular biology, told Agence France-Presse.

"It allows us for the first time to model the entire human body including anatomy, chemistry and tissue types."

Using Java 3-D technology, a commonly used Web-based computer programming language, images that can be detected with the use of special glasses allow doctors to pinpoint DNA defects and manipulate genes in a bid to find cures for diseases.

This complete human atlas in four dimensions -- length, width, height and time -- also allows researchers to observe the evolution of illnesses and to view the body's reaction to digital chemicals.

"A doctor or patient could be shown what is going on inside a body. For people not versed in medical terminology or medical data analysis, it helps them to see it visually," Turinsky said. "It's much better than a biology textbook."

"Initially, we would feed a person's medical data into the computer to show them what is happening in their body. Eventually, we hope to use it to predict what would happen if a patient didn't pursue a treatment or if certain genes act up," he said.

The computer program could tell scientists if a drug has potential before heading into the lab to conduct tests on living cells, avoiding experiments on animals, people or cadavers before starting clinical trials.

It could also be used to help doctors plan a surgery or develop new surgical techniques.

Initially, the project aimed to create computer models that could be used to train massage therapists. But researchers quickly realized its broader potential.

The 4D human atlas is built upon data from basic anatomy textbooks.

Fundamental body systems and organs were rendered into animated drawings by a graphic artist, and converted into Java 3-D images to bring them to life in the university's "holodeck."

A team of computer scientists, biologists and mathematicians worked on the project for six years. Turinsky said he hopes to see it widely used within the next two years.



Go online and search for CAVEman Michel Comte if you want more information.