About Virtopsy

Virtopsy is a multi-disciplinary, applied research project which uses optical 3D surface scanning, 3D-photogrammetry, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to document forensic evidence in a non-invasive and observer-independent manner in both living and deceased subjects.

In the post-mortem setting, imaging can be complemented by minimally-invasive angiography to visualize vascular injuries and by CT- or robot-guided biopsy to collect tissue samples for microscopic evaluation. 

In distinction to human remains, imaging data is immune to decay, may be stored permanently, and can be re-examined at any time if second opinion expertise is required. In addition, the three-dimensional datasets may be used to visualize relevant findings in court in a straight forward and comprehensible fashion.

The aim of Virtopsy is to combine the advantages of cutting edge imaging technology with the time-tested traditional knowledge of forensic autopsy in order to develop best practice in forensic investigations.