Traditional autopsies are considered as invasive procedures by many faiths and even violate religious laws, such as is the case for Muslims and Jews. This is why the concept of virtual autopsy, which relies on computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technologies, has been developed in the last two years. Engineers from Silicon Graphics (SGI) are working with the authorities of countries such as Switzerland or Sweden to provide better views of fatal injuries while treating the deceased people with respect. But this kind of virtual autopsy has other applications, such as for armed and police forces. It also can be used to determine the cause of the death of a victim of a natural disaster like a hurricane, when dead bodies are already badly decomposed. And virtual autopsies also can reduce postmortem costs. While a traditional autopsy can cost up to $5,000, a virtual one costs only about $1,000. So far, only a thousand of virtual autopsies have been performed worldwide, but this number is increasing quickly. Read this long overview for additional details and exclusive pictures.
Sources: SGI press release, November 7, 2005; John Gartner, Technology Review, November 23, 2005; Benjamin Pimentel, San Francisco Chronicle, November 28, 2005; and various web sites
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