T. Reks, C. St. George, R. Sepulveda, R.A. Rogers
Rogers Imaging Corp,
United States
Keywords: 3D digital model viewer, augmented reality, biology, basic research, biomedical, engineering, theoretical modeling, medical imaging
Summary:
Mobile Microscopy is a real time 3D digital model viewer for mobile devices that integrates a digital image platform to navigate isotropic models created from actual image data provided by scientists, engineers and biotechnologists around the world. This tool allows for users to explore complex image data in any orientation by using just their fingertips. The user can freely fly through different perspectives as well as applying augmented reality technology for an even more immersive interaction of the data. The secure platform is a convenient portal to access high resolution models of image data including but not limited to (.tif, .png, .czi, .sis, .obj, DICOM formats) in real time on mobile devices independent of specific image acquisition platforms used in basic research, biomedical, engineering, theoretical modeling and medical imaging systems or use of costly image processing software. The tool under development enables users to view real biological image data using any mobile device allowing for a broad range of users to freely explore and investigate scientific image data on their own. Deployment is independent of image format, cloud storage, or data size with models available to view, share, measure and analyze. The 3D models are near isotropic in resolution, therefore display of images is not restricted to the conventional X/Y axial orientation as seen in other applications. Instead, the model's volume is built by 'stacking' the individual slices one on top of the other and segmenting out regions of interest. Augmented Reality is an additional advanced method that is used to view and interact with this digital information. Mobile devices can access a model online and project that object via the mobile device camera onto a downloaded target for interactive viewing. With appropriate funding and partnership, we seek to develop a repository of image data for research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medicine, science, technology, engineering as well as manufacturing industries suitable for rapid field access in any environment. Next steps in the development will be to fine tune the model’s segmentation pipeline that is required for each 3D image and to create a more dynamic and hands off approach to standardize contributed image data and to increase the number of models available.