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Development of a virtual 3D renal corpuscle for educational environments
Author(s) -
Roth Jeremy,
Wilson Timothy,
Sandig Martin
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.959.11
Subject(s) - computer science , visualization , interactivity , 3d model , context (archaeology) , usability , computer graphics (images) , human–computer interaction , biomedical engineering , artificial intelligence , multimedia , engineering , biology , paleontology
Histology is a challenging educational discipline. It requires studying 2‐dimensional (2D) microscopic sections of tissue and inferring three‐dimensional (3D) organization. Gross anatomical education has benefitted from the burgeoning use of 3D models and images, however, 3D digital models of histological structures have not been developed for educational purposes. To overcome these limitations we have developed a 3D histological model of a renal corpuscle (RC) based on serial histological sections for e‐learning environments. Sprague Dawley rat kidneys were fixed, dehydrated, and embedded in epoxy resin (Embed‐812). Ribbons of serial semi‐thin sections (1μm thick) were obtained using a diamond knife and ultramicrotome. The sections containing the RC (n=179) were digitized and the images were aligned with the 3D visualization software, Amira 5.2, for 3D model development. Key structures of the RC and surrounding tissue were digitally reconstructed via manual segmentation. The resulting digital model allows for the generation of RC images in any plane with resolutions comparable to that of the original images. Users may view digitally generated histological sections in the context of the 3D renal corpuscle, enabling user interactivity and visualization in a variety of 2D or 3D orientations. Future plans for the model include developing an e‐learning module and subjecting it to usability tests. Grant Funding Source : Instructional Innovation and Development Fund (IIDF)