The long-term objective of this project is to create and distribute a resource of photo-realistic three-dimensional virtual anatomic specimens.
The specific aims of this application are: 1) to create a set of QuickTime VR objects of normal anatomical specimens; and 2) to make this resource freely accessible to users via the Internet. Virtual objects will allow examination and study of anatomical features and relationships in situations where the availability of real specimens is impractical or inappropriate. It is anticipated that users in the area of medical and allied health education, patient education, etc., will utilize these QTVR objects in electronic presentations or will produce derivative works such as interactive learning program. QTVR technology creates the illusion of handling an object (turning it over and viewing it from any angle) by playing a series of digital movie frames in the proper sequence determined by the user?s cursor movement. This technology has proven effective in representing gross anatomical specimens of many types. It has also proven possible to change the metaphor of the QTVR objects to show movement of anatomical specimens (such as a knee joint) or to demonstrate a sequential dissection of a specimen. The QTVR format is inherently capable of creating interactive applications or QTVR files can be incorporated into authored programs, including web-based applications. To achieve the aims of the project, 75 to 100 anatomical specimens will be prepared, photographed and processed into QTVR object movies. For each specimen, several object movies at varied size and resolution will be produced to accommodate multiple end-user purposes. The resulting 500+ movie files will be placed on an Internet server at this institution and mirrored on at least one other server. The complete resource will be made available to registered users via a password protected, searchable database. This resource will be maintained indefinitely and will likely be expanded by continued production in our laboratory and by external contributions to include anomalous and pathologic specimens.
