Computer-aided three-dimensional reconstruction of microscopic structure of brachial plexus based on consecutive series of slices

In the field of medical visualization, three-dimensional reconstruction from consecutive planar slices is a most straightforward method to reproduce 3D objects. Nowadays, besides macrostructure, microstructure has got more and more emphasis. The brachial plexus is a kind of microstructure with ultra-complicated topology; but few reports on visualization of it appear due to the difficulties of acquiring high precision data. In this paper the surface reconstruction of the brachial plexus is discussed. Several problems emerging from data obtaining stage to three-dimensional reconstruction stage are listed, and corresponding solutions are presented in detail as well. At last, some experiment results prove the practicability and validity of our methods and show a promising future of applying reconstruction technology into microstructure.