Beyond digital human body atlases: Segmenting an integrated 3d topological model of the human body

Abstract

The use of integrated models of the human body in three-dimensional environments enables the study of the anatomic structures with a high degree of interactivity and detail. The geographical information systems approach in building topological models allows overcoming certain limitations found in anatomical atlases. In this study, an integrated (vector-raster) 3D model, which defines the external surface of the human body, is expanded by adding the corresponding anatomical structures. The reconstruction of the anatomical structures begins with their segmentation, performed on transverse RGB images of the body. The expanded model, built with explicit topological features, enhances the functionality of the input model by optimizing the identification function and developing an inclusion analysis in 3D. The features of the expanded model allow exploring more efficiently the human body information and representation.