Researchers of the Brigham Young University developed a software which makes it possible surgeons to create 3D computer images from medical scans. This application of virtual surgery, called Live Surface, will help to confirm preoperative exams, diagnosis and evaluation. It will also make it possible to the patient to receive his medical information in comprehensible form. According to William Barrett, the BYU computer science professor which developed the software with the student Chris Armstrong, technology could potentially preclude some exploratory surgeries (and this is a good news for people who have doubts about devices inserted in their ***).

Extracting a 3-D computer image from MRI and CT scans or similar data, this is the idea. The software makes it possible surgeons to visualize faster any part of the patient's body, with less effort than previous applications.
Indeed, that kind of software is not new. Nevertheless, this one has the advantage of being much faster and simpler to use. The algorithm voluntarily withdraws the useless details to create a visual model as you can see on the picture here above.
It is also interactive: the user can remove the non-interesting parts and then directly shows problem's core. We're able to traverse 10-15 levels of the hierarchy in less than a half-second," Barrett said. "It's as simple as telling the program: this is the object I want and I don't want that".