CT tackles task of military virtual autopsy

Dear AuntMinnie Member,

CT is usually thought of as a technology designed for preserving the health of the living. But the U.S. military is finding that it can be invaluable in the grim task of analyzing the dead.

In part II of our series on virtual autopsy, staff writer Eric Barnes profiles the U.S. military's incorporation of CT into its postmortem examination protocol at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The facility is charged with conducting comprehensive forensic examinations of every U.S. service member who dies in a theater of war.

Medical examiners at Dover began using CT in 2005, and have found that it offers a number of benefits not found with traditional autopsy, such as the preservation of detailed anatomic records. Research into bullet wound tracking offers new insight into the behavior of metallic fragments in the body.

Specialized software that virtually replaces missing anatomy is another useful tool for examining highly traumatized remains, the investigators have found.

Ultimately, the medical examiners hope their work with CT will preserve lives in the future by enabling better equipment design to reduce injuries to U.S. service members. Read all about their work by clicking here, or visit the CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.