The Virtual Pig Head

Domestic pigs are used as biomedical animal models for several human disease states, such as temporomandibular joint disorders and mastoid air cell infections, yet no digital representations of their anatomy exist. To address this problem, the Virtual Pig Project uses digital datasets to construct virtual models for research and education. Two heads were scanned using computed tomography (CT) at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital, Athens, OH, and a higher resolution scan was performed on the temporomandibular joint using the OUµCT scanner in Athens, OH. These data were imported into the program Amira and such anatomical structures as bones, muscles, brain, air sinuses, and blood vessels were digitally extracted and visualized, rendering a virtual construction of the head. Visual comparisons to CT-imagery of key human systems highlights interspecies similarities and differences. The Virtual Pig Head has already provided a series of often dramatic 3D visualizations, delivered on the web. These virtual data provide an important new resource for researchers in the biomedical field and as a supplement in education to physical dissection.