3-DIMENSIONAL NEUROIMAGING  [ back to Neuroimaging ]
Three-Dimensional Neuroimaging refers to a technique begun around 1990 which utilizes custom software, display monitor and glasses to achieve a 3 dimensional image of the brain, which can be rotated and visually inspected from any angle. The equipment is made by Siemens, G.E., Philips Electronics and Vital Images. So far only a very few hospital radiology departments have purchased them, and their use has been confined largely to studies of blood vessel disorders in the heart and brain. Gradual refinement of the technique allows physicians to take a "Fantastic Voyage" through images of their patient's arteries, as if they were tiny blood cells rather than full sized human observers. Images can be processed very quickly and without the need for the invasive catherization and repeated infusions of dye required by traditional angiography. The technique may catch on, and certainly appears to offer a promising new way to look inside the brain. Four dimensional imaging is now being used for precise localization of a lesion prior to brain surgery. The technique involves electronic registration of a CAT scan, 3D processing and application of a 4th layer such as a PET image.