Osirix Imaging - Articles, Tutorials & Resources for Medical Illustrators

What is the Visible Human Project?

Complete male and female cadaver datasets in MRI, CT, and color photo image formats.

How do I access the data?

You must complete a license agreement with the National Library of Medicine, at which time you will then be granted access to the Visible Human Project FTP site. An FTP client such as Filezilla or Fetch will be required.

How large are the datasets?

The dataset for the male is approximately 15 gigabytes, and the female dataset is approximately 40 gigabits in size. Make sure you have enough storage before downloading.

Why is the female dataset larger?

The female data was gathered in .33mm increments, as compared to 1mm intervals for the male dataset.

How long will it take to download the datasets?

Even with a broadband connection, you can expect your download to take several days or longer without breaking the FTP connection.

Are there other alternatives to downloading?

Yes, once licensed you may purchase DVD sets of regional anatomy for $150 US dollars, or $1000 US dollars either the complete male or female dataset.

What file format is used for the data?

All data is compressed and will need to be extracted. Radiological images will be in the format in which they were acquired from the scanners (t1, t2, fre, pd). Color mages are available in raw, rgb, and png formats.

Is the dataset complete?

No. The elbow regions were unfortunately shaved off in the preparation process.

Are there any other known issues with the datasets?

The male dataset has several issues regarding registration, resulting in misalignment of slices. Header information for both datasets can be inconsistent, restricting the ability of visualization software to load the complete datasets for volume viewing.

How can I correct the images so that I can load the entire datasets?

You will need to batch convert the files within an image editor to ensure they are the same. In 2007 the database was updated to include the lossless png format to overcome this issue.

Are there any additional resources available?

A CD-ROM release of only the color images is available at Amazon.

For complete information, visit: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible/

Scott Dixon is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago. His specialty is 3D medical visualization and animation, and he is also principle modeler for the Virtual Reality in Medicine Lab at UIC. Additional areas of interest include serious gaming as applied to medical simulation and applications for mobile devices.