Diagnosis and treatment that can not be carried out on real human body now can be tested on virtual human instead. As the most important preparatory work of China's "simulated human project", six virtual human models have been worked out using bionic materials, according to professor Lin Daquan with Sichuan University.

Jointly initiated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University and Tsinghua University, the virtual human project will be formally proposed to the State Ministry of Science and Technology by the end of this month.

"Virtual human" means to gather anatomical and physiological information from real humans and to work out on this basis "virtual humans" through computer system, on which diagnosis and treatment can be tested before applied to real humans.

Now the initial software platform has been successfully set up and will be used in some hospitals in Beijing to help make diagnosis and map out operation plan, according to professor Lin, who participated in the project.

The next step is to establish a data bank for human shape and function and form digitized human models.

By now six human models by bionic materials have been worked out by professor Lin, including three "children" at the "age" of 3, 6 and 9 respectively, as well as a pregnant woman. More models would be produced to bring together the digitized models for data comparison.

As estimated, virtual Chinese humans would be used in three or four years in clinical diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, which will on the whole help raise the medical and health level of the Chinese people.

(People's Daily June 24, 2002)