November 01, 2010
Exploring interior views of the human body inspired Kai-hung Fung, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.R., to apply that one-of-a-kind perspective to creating radiology artwork that has captured the imagination of artists, scientists and the public at large since 2003.
"I imagine myself as a traveler in virtual space, visiting every corner of the human anatomy and exploring the beautiful scenery that Mother Nature has created in normal and diseased states," said Dr. Fung, a diagnostic radiologist at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital in Hong Kong. "There are so many anatomical variants one can explore using this method. Individuals may look similar, but humans differ from one another in detail."
Dr. Fung is one among several artists who use radiologic images to create art, enchanting physicians and non-physicians alike.
Using images of the human body based on data acquired from CT scanners, Dr. Fung creates artwork that has grown in scope and reputation since its debut seven years ago. Since 2008, Dr. Fung's work has been featured regularly in the Illuminations section of RadioGraphics. For example, the July 2010 issue featured Dr. Fung's image "Van Gogh Remembered," which uses a 3D CT rendering of an aortic stent-graft to capture the deep colors and rich textures made legendary in the Dutch artist's sunflower paintings. "Imagine the joy van Gogh would have experienced with digital media and all of its possibilities!" proclaims the legend under the image.
The innovative artwork has left a lasting impression on the journal and its readers, according to RadioGraphics Editor William W. Olmsted, M.D. "Dr. Fung's beautiful clinical artwork contributes immensely to the look and appeal of RadioGraphics," Dr. Olmsted said.
In just a few short years, the list of publications featuring Dr. Fung's artwork has grown to include Radiologic Technology, Leonardo, GEO, Discover and Vanity Fair. His artwork has also been featured in museums including the Hong Kong Art Museum, William Benton Museum of Art in Storrs, Connecticut, the American University Museum Katzen Arts Center in Washington and the New York Hall of Science. The artwork is not for sale but is available for charity purposes.
3D Image has Rainbow Connection
In 2007, Dr. Fung created an award-winning artwork using 3D CT of the human nose and paranasal sinuses along with a special rendering method known as the "rainbow technique," which he discovered almost by accident.
"Stepping artifacts are well known in 3D reconstruction because we have to stack up multiple cross-sectional slices to create the 3D image," Dr. Fung explained. "The thicker the slice, the more obtrusive the artifact. Although most software developers try to avoid these artifacts by smoothing out the surface, I found that the resulting contour line effect is quite interesting and contributes to creative 3D representation; therefore I tried my best to enhance it. By converting each contour line into a rainbow with many colors, I created the 'rainbow technique.' The aesthetic effect shares similarity with pointillism except that I use color lines instead of color dots to create the picture.
"As with pointillism, when colorful lines are amassed together, the color effect is enhanced," Dr. Fung said. "On the other hand, when lines are relatively spaced apart, as in a close-up view, the colorful lines add to the 3D contour effect, enhancing resolution."
Using rainbow rendering, the surface behaves like a colorful Venetian blind, making objects on either side of the surface clearly visible, Dr. Fung said. This work, "What Lies Behind Our Nose?," was awarded first prize in the photography category in the 2007 5th Annual International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, sponsored by Science, the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Science Foundation.
Art Springs from Everyday Artifacts
Another physician whose artwork has captured a sizeable audience began his Radiology Art project in 2007 for educational as well as aesthetic reasons.
"When I began creating this artwork, I was thinking 'How can people learn from these images'?" said Satre Stuelke, M.D., an intern at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, whose work is featured on his website, radiologyart.com, and exhibited everywhere from pediatricians' offices to the National Institutes of Health and the Ellen Powell Tiberino Museum in Philadelphia.
"I would like patients to feel more comfortable with the radiology procedures that can often be intimidating," Dr. Stuelke said.
Before earning his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC), Dr. Stuelke—who also holds a master of fine arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago—worked as an artist and art professor. As a first-year medical student in 2007, Dr. Stuelke began using CT scanner time donated by WCMC's Biomedical Imaging Center to capture images of dozens of everyday objects.
Using a four-slice CT scanner to acquire the DICOM images, Dr. Stuelke processed the scans using OsiriX Mac software which allowed him to assign different colors to areas of varying density. The resulting collection of more than 30 images ranging from elephants and giraffes to objects like toasters, telephones and TV dinners, have earned him recognition and media coverage in the New York Times and the "Today Show," among others.
Radiology Demystified
Although Dr. Stuelke still maintains his website and will provide high-resolution prints of his artwork upon request, he now concentrates full time on his medical career. Especially when it is displayed in pediatricians' offices, he believes his artwork can help young patients understand that imaging procedures allow doctors to see the inner workings of the body in order to diagnose and treat them.
"People can be frightened and mystified about radiology exams," Dr. Stuelke said. "It's ultimately not that scary or mysterious. If I can show that through my artwork, maybe that can help alleviate fears over getting an MRI, a CT scan or even just a normal X-ray."
Moving beyond human subjects is also a goal of Dr. Fung, who anticipates using his imaging techniques on objects both large and microscopic.
"Although the only imaging data available to work on now is patients undergoing clinical exams, I would eventually like my subjects to include biological samples, human artifacts, paintings and objects of art," Dr. Fung said. "I could also contribute to a virtual museum or the study of evolution by applying advanced medical imaging technology and 3D visualization technology. It might also be feasible to apply the rendering method to visualize nanoscaled objects in 3D scanning electron microscopy."
After all, a good picture is worth a thousand words, as the adage goes. "This is the essence of medical or scientific data visualization," Dr. Fung said. "The picture speaks for itself."
That, Dr. Fung said, is when he knows his unique combination of art and technology has successfully intersected to accomplish his primary purpose.
To See More
The artwork of Kai-hung Fung, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.R., can be viewed at RSNA.org/RadioGraphics. The artwork of Satre Stuelke, M.D., can be viewed at radiologyart.com.