Holographic imaging of human brain preparations - A step toward virtual medicine

BACKGROUND Holography is the only technique that can record the full tri-dimensional quality of an object, and allow the observer to easily see this as an image that is truly 3-D. The pulsed laser can capture even a moving object's three dimensional form as a hologram because of its short wavelength. METHODS Using a modification of the Klinger processing sequence, formalin-fixed human brains were subjected to periods of freezing and thawing. This assisted the visual demarcation between white and gray matter during neuroanatomical dissection. Holographic methodology with the Lumonic HLS2 pulsed ruby laser was employed to create three dimensional images from brain preparations. RESULTS Master holograms of the human brain preparations demonstrating the various pathways such as vision, corticospinal, etc. are made using the ruby laser at wavelength 694.3 nanometers. From this master an infinite number of holograms can be copied. CONCLUSION By providing immediate three dimensional information, holograms uniquely facilitate the spontaneous understanding of human neuroanatomical relationships which cannot be as efficiently learned with photographs or diagrams. This points the way toward future educational and biomedical applications of this emerging technology.