The Visible Human Project: a resource for anatomical visualization.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has long been a world leader in the archiving and distribution of the print-based images of biology and medicine. NLM has also been a pioneer in the use of computer systems to encode and distribute textual knowledge of the life sciences. NLM's Long Range Planning effort of 1985-86 foresaw a coming era where NLM's Bibliographic and factual database services would be complemented by libraries of digital images, distributed over high speed computer networks and by high capacity physical media. The NLM Planning Panel on Electronic Imaging recommended that NLM should undertake the building a digital image library consisting of computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images, and cryosection images of a representative, carefully selected and prepared male and female cadaver--the "Visible Human ProjectJ." The male and female Visible Human data sets are now being made available through a license agreement with the NLM. The data sets are supporting a wide range of educational, diagnostic, treatment planning, and commercial uses. The value of this international resource in the public domain increases through its application. Its utility will continue to grow as related databases are attached to it, and as more attributes are given to its image elements.