A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
SparStVR - exploring sparse 3D histology data in virtual reality
Authors: Liimatainen, Kaisa; Latonen, Leena; Ruusuvuori, Pekka
Publisher: Springer Nature
Publication year: 2026
Journal: Communications Engineering
eISSN: 2731-3395
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-026-00634-3
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-026-00634-3
Visualization of three-dimensional image stacks from serial sectioned histology or from other modalities poses a challenge, and solutions are often limited to projections or to rotated views of the 3D stacks. Here, we present SparStVR, a virtual reality application for interactive 3D image data visualization. A virtual environment with textured 3D models and, when desired, embedded measurements is generated from a stack of labeled masks and stacks of color images. In addition, modeling whole sample from sample masks and embedding multimodal measurements from heatmaps are supported. The possibility to interactively and intuitively study 3D structures and measurements in virtual reality is a ground-breaking feature compared to traditional tools. SparStVR was designed especially for visualization of sparse 3D histology data, yet it can be used for any 3D image data with objects of interest to model. SparStVR enables discoveries from complex data of tissue structures and pathology in an unprecedented manner.
Funding information in the publication:
The work was funded by Academy of Finland (PR) and (LL), ERAPerMed (ABCAP consortium, PR and LL) and by Cancer Foundation Finland (LL, PR). Application development was funded by Finnish Cultural Foundation and Epic MegaGrants (KL).