Basset Slides
The Basset Collection is a series of high-resolution images of human anatomy captured on paired slides, allowing them to be viewed in stereoscopic 3D. They are the result of a seventeen-year collaboration between Dr David Lee Bassett, an expert anatomist, and William Gruber, inventor of a stereoscopic imagery system, and which were finally completed in 1962.
One of the exciting applications of these Basset slides is the possibility of using them in virtual reality with Google Cardboard. As existing research demonstrated, viewing the images in 3D can allow users to develop a grasp of anatomy that is superior to simply viewing the same images in 2D. Needless to say, this can be particularly beneficial for trainees beginning their studies in the healthcare field, especially if they had minimal prior anatomy exposure.
McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada has been at the forefront of utilizing the Basset Slide Collection in virtual reality. Their app “VRBR (Virtual Reality Bellringer)” used Google Cardboard headsets to view the Basset slides, and was tested with anatomy undergrads and medical students. VRBR improved on the Bassett slides collection by adding labels and annotations to the images.
Virtual Vesalius will continue to improve upon this work through the use of medical imaging that can be viewed stereoscopically with volume rendering, allowing the anatomy to be viewed from any angle and helping students to develop better understanding of the anatomical relations between structures.