3D Modeling For Brain And Bone Health At SIGGRAPH

SIGGRAPH news today is abuzz with the benefits of 3d modeling in the health field.

LiveScience | 3D Brain Model Could Revolutionize Neurology

A new project aims to produce a Google Maps-like guide of the brain’s labyrinthine structure At a presentation here at the SIGGRAPH interactive technology and computer graphics conference, researchers highlighted how a complete 3-D model of the brain could spark a new era in neurological research.

Called The Whole Brain Catalog, the project compiles data from across the research spectrum, in a variety of forms. It takes MRI data, pictures of stained neurons and theoretical diagrams of brain circuitry and presents them in a way that scientists, doctors and 3-D animators can digest in a unified way. Those users then contribute back to the site, wiki-style, to produce an increasingly full model of the brain at every scale, down to the molecular level.

TechNews Daily |  3D Models To Aid In Mending Broken Bones

Surgically cutting a patient open is sometimes necessary to expose the break and allow a surgeon to manipulate the bone so it fits together accurately. To ease these surgeries, researchers seek to combine state of the art of 3-D imaging, pattern recognition and robotics.

CT scans of healthy and fractured joints will be used to work out the mathematical algorithm for the exact displacement and rotation of each bone fragment. Using this information, a 3-D model of the broken bone will be made on software from the United Kingdom-based company Simpleware that lets doctors better see how to mend the bone during surgery.

Whole Brain Project

This story written by Maitri Erwin

Maitri Erwin is technology director at a geospatial and engineering services company, researching the visual representation and simulation of 3D data. Previously, she was geologist, geophysicist and geovisualization expert at a large, multi-national oil & gas company. Maitri is also Indian Languages advisor to Project Gutenberg, the oldest producer of free electronic books.

Science 3d modeling, health, medicine, neurosciene