Advanced Pre-Surgery Planning by Animated Biomodels in Virtual Reality

Complex anatomies like the human nose are more difficult to understand from conventional two-dimensional anatomy images than from interactive virtual three-dimensional models of the individual human anatomy. The objective of the present study was to establish a procedure necessary to develop an animated three-dimensional virtual reality model of a complex anatomy like the human nose from high-resolution computerized-tomography scans. With high-resolution scans, accurate 3D reconstruction of the human nose was possible. A reconstructed triangulated VRML model was separated in sagittal and coronal direction in order to realize a component based animation that provides navigation through the virtual environment. For a virtual reality representation a passive stereoscopic visualization system was used. Accurate three-dimensional virtual reality models of the human nose and its structures can enhance our understanding of anatomy and physiology of this complex part of the body. Thus, it supports accurate and faster surgical intervention planning.