Zheng-Jin Liu

The Chinese Visible Human (CVH) datasets incorporate technical and imaging advances on earlier digital humans

We report the availability of a digitized Chinese male and a digitzed Chinese female typical of the population and with no obvious abnormalities. The embalming and milling procedures incorporate three technical improvements over earlier digitized cadavers. Vascular perfusion with coloured gelatin was performed to facilitate blood vessel identification. Embalmed cadavers were embedded in gelatin and cryosectioned whole so as to avoid section loss resulting from cutting the body into smaller pieces. Milling performed at −25 °C prevented small structures (e.g. teeth, concha nasalis and articular cartilage) from falling off from the milling surface. The male image set (.tiff images each of 36 Mb) has a section resolution of 3072 × 2048 pixels (∼170 µm, the accompanying magnetic resonance imaging and computer tomography data have a resolution of 512 × 512, i.e. ∼440 µm). The Chinese Visible Human male and female datasets are available at http://www.chinesevisiblehuman.com. (The male is 90.65 Gb and female 131.04 Gb). MPEG videos of direct records of real‐time volume rendering are at: http://www.cse.cuhk.edu.hk/~crc

Analysis of the arterial supply of the extrahepatic bile ducts and its clinical significance

The purpose of this study is to describe the arterial supply of the entire extrahepatic bile duct system. The cross‐sectional area of all arteries that supply the ducts is measured under an operating microscope in 50 adult cadavers injected with red latex through the aorta. The extrahepatic bile duct system is divided into four topographic portions: cystic duct and gallbladder, right and left hepatic ducts, bile (common) duct and including its supra‐retroduodenal parts, and the pancreatic and intraduodenal portions. The arterial supply to each portion is carefully detailed. The ducts are supplied by more than seven arteries, of which the major arteries are the cystic artery, posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery, right hepatic artery, and retroportal artery. Collectively they provide 94.5% of the blood supply to the ducts. Arteries form three types of anastomotic patterns on the walls of the ducts, suggesting that ductal incisions can be made in ways that least disturb the blood supply. The patterns are: a network, a longitudinal anastomotic chain, and an arterial circle. These data emphasize the importance of the arterial supply in biliary surgery and especially the treatment of hemobilia. Clin. Anat. 12:245–249, 1999.

Thin sectional anatomy, three-dimensional reconstruction and visualization of the heart from the Chinese Visible Human

The research aimed to provide sectional anatomic and three-dimensional (3D) virtual anatomic bases for imaging diagnosis and surgical operation by the use of data from the heart of the first Chinese digitized Visible Human. Data from the series of thin sections of the heart were analyzed and input into an SGI workstation, and 3D reconstruction and virtualization of the heart were performed. Each image of sectional anatomy was clear and the 3D structures of the heart were reconstructed in their entirety. All reconstructed structures can be displayed by multiple structural and color modes, individually or jointly, and can be rotated continuously in any plane. The model of the virtual heart clearly showed fine structures of the heart in random orientation. The dataset of the sectional anatomy provides a fine and integrated morphologic base for imaging diagnosis. The 3D reconstructed images clearly show the internal and entire structures of the heart.

Segmentation and three-dimension reconstruction of Chinese digitized human cerebrum

OBJECTIVE A 3D digitized visible model of human cerebrum was built to provide anatomical structure for making plans of cerebral surgical operation and realizing accurate simulation of cerebrum on computer. METHODS Transverse sectional anatomy data of the cerebrum were chosen from the first Chinese visible human (one male and one female). Semi-automated segmentation and Photoshop software were selected to segment cerebral cortex, white matter, basal nuclei, lateral ventricle, hippocampus, etc. On personal computer, the segmented structures were reconstructed in 3D with volume rendering reconstruction and surface rendering reconstruction. RESULTS Two accurately segmented images of the main structures of cerebrum were completed. The reconstructed structures can be displayed singly, in small groups or as a whole and can be continuously rotated in 3D space at different velocities. CONCLUSION Combining volume-rendering reconstruction with surface rendering reconstruction overcomes the defects of surface rendering reconstruction that lack of internal anatomical information, which provides a new method for 3D reconstruction. The reconstructed cerebrum and the main internal structures are realistic, which demonstrates the natural shape and exact position of the structures. It provides an accurate model for the automated segmentation algorithmic study and provides a digitized anatomical mode of cerebrum.

Computerized 3D-reconstructions of the ligaments of the lateral aspect of ankle and subtalar joints*

Abstract3D-reconstruction images of the structures of lateral aspect of the ankle and subtalar joints were produced using plastination to make equidistant serial sections of 1.2 mm in thickness. A SGI workstation was employed to reconstruct the structures of the ligaments of the lateral aspect of ankle and subtalar joints in three dimensions. Reconstructed structures were displayed singly, in groups or as a whole, and these were rotated continuously at different velocities in 3D space. Different diameters and angles of the reconstructed structures could be measured easily. Improved results could be achieved with the use of a special sectional anatomical technique, i.e. contours + marching cubes algorithm.

The pre-styloid compartment of the parapharyngeal space: a three-dimensional digitized model based on the Chinese Visible Human

To build a digitized visible model of the parapharyngeal space of the Chinese Visible Human and to provide a sectional anatomic basis for radiological and clinical diagnosis of the parapharyngeal space, sectional anatomy data of the parapharyngeal space were selected from the Chinese Visible Human male and female to compare with MR imaging findings in the axial planes. From these data the parapharyngeal space and surrounding structures were segmented. They were then reconstructed in three dimensions on PC. In the axial planes of the sectional anatomy and MR imaging, the shape, content and relations of the parapharyngeal space were clearly displayed and the dominant plane for showing the parapharyngeal space was elicited. The three-dimensional reconstructed images displayed perfectly the anatomic relationships of the parapharyngeal space, parotid, muscles, mandible and vessels. All reconstructed structures can be displayed singly, in groups or as a whole; any diameter or angle of the reconstructed structures can be easily measured. The Chinese Visible Human male and female data set can provide complete and accurate data. The digitized model of the parapharyngeal space and its surroundings offers unique insights into the complex anatomy of the area, providing morphologic data for imaging diagnosis and surgery of the parapharyngeal space.

Chinese Visible Human Project: Dataset Acquisition and Its Primary Applications

The research on digital visible human is of great significance and application value. The US Visible Human Project (VHP) created the first digital image data set of a complete human (one male and one female) in 1995. To promote a worldwide application-oriented VHR, more visible human data sets representative of different populations of the world are in demand. The Chinese Visible Human (CVH) male (created in Oct. 2002) and female (created in Feb. 2003) project achieved greater integrity of images, easier blood vessel identification, and were free of organic lesion. The most noteworthy technical advance of CVH Project was the construction of a low temperature laboratory, which contributed to the prevention of small structures (including teeth, concha nasalis, and articular cartilage) from falling off out of the milling surface. Thus, better integrity of images can be ensured. So far, we have achieved an acquisition of five CVH data sets and the corresponding volume visualization on PC. The 3D reconstruction of some organs or structures has been finished. The work of segmentation on a complete data set is still on-going