Virtopsy

Virtopsy is a virtual alternative to a traditional autopsy, conducted with scanning and imaging technology. The name is a portmanteau of 'virtual' and 'autopsy' and is a trademark registered to Prof. , the former head of the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University of Bern, Switzerland.

The term “virtual” in this context apparently is meant in both the modern and original senses. Virtual's Latin root word “virtus” (virtue) implies the qualities of capability, efficiency, effectiveness and objectivity. However, some proponents propose to replace traditional autopsy with this approach. "Virtual" also has the sense of "digital".

Drihnhofer claimed that Virtopsy fully satisfies the requirement that medical forensic findings provide “a complete and true picture of the object examined”. Furthermore, Virtopsy also achieves the objective “that the pathologist’s report should ‘photograph’ with words so that the reader is able to follow his thoughts visually”.

Forensic pathology is a field within which physicians are mainly preoccupied with examining what initially are victims of possible, suspected or obvious violence that ultimately die. Clinical forensic medicine essentially does the same but with living victims; traffic medicine and age determination are applications that are not, strictly speaking, restricted to clinical forensic medicine in that general practitioners, pediatricians and other specialists also provide services for such requests.

As examinations typically are performed under the legal and task restraints of investigative authorities such as courts, prosecutors, district attorneys or police, there are constraints as to cost, time, objectivity and task specification depending on local law.

The most relevant step is adequately documenting findings. Virtopsy employs imaging methods that are also used in clinical medicine such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Also, 3D surface scanning typically used in automotive industry is being employed to integrate body surface documentation with 3D scene or tool scans. The choice of methods is further supplemented with 3D imaging guided biopsy systems and post mortem angiography.

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Wikipedia