Using structural and visual information in physiological systems modeling

This paper emphasizes the growing importance of precise models of biological structures to be used in conjunction with dynamic models of physiological events for improved physiological systems modeling. Medical imaging developments, represented mainly by computerized tomography, have been oriented principally towards medical diagnostic applications, that is towards the obtention of semi-quantitative information using sophisticated three-dimensional image display and manipulation capabilities. On the other hand, three-dimensional reconstruction of objects for modeling purposes presents rather more stringent requirements. The most important are the precise and independent representation and manipulation of the structures involved, the possibility of modifying the model parameters, the access to geometric data for specific measurements and transformation, and the compatibility with CAD/CAM software. Methods to obtain and manipulate such information are becoming available and a particular system used for the geometric modeling of the vertebral spine and knee is outlined.