HuCS-ID Lab: Data resources

The HuCS-ID lab has developed several specialised data resources that that students can leverage for their research studies/degrees in craniofacial or skeletal identification. These resources additionally facilitate advanced subject matter workshops to industry / government, per consultancies arranged through UQ’s Consulting and Research Expertise unit, CoRE.

The resources include two sets of ultra-resolution medical images (MR and CT) for studying craniofacial anatomy and a specialized library of skeletons with matching pre-skeletisation radiographs (as pertinent to identification).

AP Stephan also curates the Collaborative Facial Soft Tissue Depth Data Store (at CRANIOFACIALidentification.com), which is an open-access, free, and online data resource for all craniofacial identification practitioners to use.

Further details on these resources can be found below.

HuCS-ID CT & MR Head Dataset (Decedents)

This resource comprises both CT and MR scans of a subset of 70 body donors to UQ’s anatomy program. Each subject in this database is represented by five scans: one axial CT, one sagittal CT, and three sets of 3T MRIs (T1-weighted MRI, T2-weighted MRI and PETRA ultrashort echo time). The scan resolutions are ultra-high to provide exquisite anatomical detail (0.5 mm slice thickness for each of the CTs and 0.65 mm slice thickness for most MRIs).

This dataset holds the advantage that the CT slice thicknesses are very thin and exist for the full length of the head. Such scans are not typically attainable for living subjects in the applied clinical setting where the high-resolution parameters cause the scans to exceed acceptable radiation dose limits.

All scans are acquired at UQ’s Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI) using their latest Siemens equipment/software (Biograph Horizon CT scanner and Magnetrom Prisma 3T).

Data collection began in 2023 and will be complete in 2024.

CT and MR machines used for data collection at the CAI

CT and MR machines used for data collection at the CAI.

HuCS-ID MR Head Dataset (Living Persons)

This resource (soon to be acquired) will comprise three 3T MRI scans of each of approx. 200 living subjects: T1-weighted MRI, T2-weighted MRI and PETRA ultrashort echo time. The scan resolutions are ultra-high (0.65 mm slice thickness [as per the decedent database]) to provide exquisite anatomical detail.

All scans are acquired at UQ’s Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI) using their latest Siemens Magnetrom Prisma 3T whole body MR.

Data collection for this resource begins in late 2023 and will end in 2024.

Example T1-weighted MRI image of a living subject (used to set standard scan protocols for the dataset). Image by: T. Hona (HuCS-ID Lab) and N. Atcheson (CAI), 2023.

SBMS Skeletal Collection

This data resource comprises radiographs and skeletons belonging to a subset of Type II (indefinite) body donors to the UQ Body Donor and Anatomy program.

The dry skeletons are 100% traceable to single individuals of origin, and each is accompanied by 8-10 standard radiographs taken prior to skeletisation and all are ethically resourced through the UQ Body Donor Program. These three attributes set this collection apart from other skeletal collections available in the global domain.

Example skeleton from the SBMS Skeletal Collection.
Image reproduced from: Stephan, C. N., Caple, J. M., Veprek, A., Sievwright, E., Kippers, V., Moss, S., & Fisk, W. (2017). Complexities and Remedies of Unknown-provenance Osteology. In N. Pather & G. Strkalj (Eds.), Commemorations and Memorials in Anatomy: Tribute to the Giver (pp. 65-95).

The Collaborative Facial Soft Tissue Depth Data Store (C-Table)

The C-table represents a publicly available and centralised online repository of anonymized raw facial soft tissue depth data for the field of craniofacial identification. It is free to access and separately maintained and updated on a continuing basis by Associate Professor Stephan. Currently, the repository holds data contributed by 20 different research teams (see the C-Table website for details), representing >1,700 individuals collected at up to 25 standardized craniofacial landmarks.

The C-Table is available at CRANIOFACIALidentification.com.

C-Table