Professor Thali has introduced a new radical approach in the forensic pathology called ‘virtopsy’, which is new in the field of investigation. This is not autopsy that we know about; it is a scalpel free virtual autopsy. With an aim to reduce to reduce human error and create ‘3D record of the intact cadaver’
Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerised tomography (CT), the Bern team forms a high resolution, 3D virtual double of a person’s corpse. They also scan the surface of the vehicle so that they can produce a virtual replica of it, including dents and everything. Correlating these with the evidence that they get, which can include skid marks, paint flakes off the wall, fragments of smashed lights and the like, they carefully recreate the events of an accident. With this, they give a detailed report to the police.
Actually, the concept of virtopsy began in the mid-1990s, during a conversation between a senior police scientist and Richard Dirnhofer, the predecessor of Professor Thali in an airplane. While discussing a case, they realised that if they could re-image the injuries in 3D, then it will help them to match the wound with the weapon.
Virtopsy has now used as a full-body, non-aggressive, post mortem dissection. A lot of other pathology laboratories use image techniques in their autopsy processes, but the most advanced procedure is that of the Bern team, that performed its 100th virtopsy the previous year.
Tags: 3D record, approach, Autopsy, Forensic lab, new, Professor Thali, Richard Dirnhofer, Virtopsy