133 - From Cadavers to Code: Establishing Best Practices and Protocols for Digital Cadaver Preservation

Poster Board Number: 133
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Co-authors:

Maureen Stabio - Department of Cell Biology - University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Ernesto Salcedo - Department of Cell Biology - University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Chelsea Lohman - Department of Cell Biology - University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Jonathan Wisco - Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology - Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine

Abstract Body : Cadaveric anatomy is considered the gold standard for gross anatomy education. However, many health science institutions do not have a cadaver lab due to expense, space considerations, or academic level. Digital cadaver preservation has the potential to revolutionize anatomy education by improving the access and equity of resources. Sub-millimeter-accurate 3D models of cadaveric anatomy can be brought out of the lab and into the lecture hall, personal study, and remote learning environments. Digital Cadaver Preservation as a technical skill is interdisciplinary, fusing anatomical skills (dissection), anatomy education pedagogy (lab practical staging), and 3D graphics (surface scanning, 3D modeling). Wet cadaveric specimens' have several morphological and material properties, which can pose unique challenges in creating high-quality surface scans. Lighting, occlusion, specularity, and sub-surface scattering can have deleterious effects on the final quality of the scan. Unfortunately, no standard operating procedures are publicly available to institutions to apply surface scanning technologies to the anatomical sciences. Here, we share our protocols for three modalities of digital cadaver preservation: The Artec Space Spider—an industrial structured-light scanner; RealityCapture—a professional photogrammetry software package; and RealityScan—a LiDAR-based smartphone app. We discuss the differences between modalities, donor privacy safeguards, and best practices for ensuring anatomically accurate scans appropriate for cadaveric reference, 3D printing, or cataloging variations and pathologies.