Get to Know the 3D Pro: Nancy Ware

Meet Nancy Ware, an esteemed member of the Stanford 3DQ Lab team! Nancy hails from a large family, which at a young age instilled in her a determination to break free from her modest upbringing and make meaningful impact. In high school she found a passion for photography and life sciences, serving as precursors for her eventual dive into 3D Imaging. Nancy’s career in healthcare began at Alexian Brothers Hospital as radiologic technologist capturing conventional X-Ray and eventually CT images. It was during her 23 years here here that Nancy discovered her drive for helping people in need and assisting the medical community.

Nancy’s path to the Stanford School of Medicine’s new startup Lab was serendipitous, as her network of professional connections introduced her to this exciting opportunity through a friend of a coworker. Experiencing burnout in her role, and with her children now in college, Nancy seized the chance and joined the lab in March 2008.

Right: Nancy Ware, R.T. (CT) | 3D Lab Technologist

In her role as a 3DQ Lab Technologist, Nancy specializes in using computer technology to enhance medical imaging through measurements, 3D visualization, and various advanced tools. However, when she initially stepped into this role, she encountered a steep learning curve due to the advanced computer skills required compared to her previous position. Determined to succeed, Nancy committed herself to improving her skills and particularly focused on the art of editing anatomical structures like bones and hearts.

Among the range of protocols she is involved with, Nancy’s recent favorite is the Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEA) program. In this protocol she identifies perforating arteries that have passed through abdominal muscles. These vessels will be removed from the abdomen and will be utilized for breast reconstruction. Nancy has devised a streamlined process to expedite this protocol:

Crop the view to concentrate solely on the area of interest. This minimizes computation time and helps prevent being overwhelmed by the scan data.

Mark the perforating vessels as they extend into the adipose tissue.

Use the threshold tool to create two distinct models- one representing the muscle and the other representing vessels.

Edit the muscle and vessel models by eliminating any satellites (free-floating segmentation), removing the obliques, and restoring regions inadvertently removed during the threshold process.

Fine-tune the visualization of each model by adjusting the window levels as necessary.

If you aspire to begin a 3D Imaging career, Nancy suggests beginning with foundational cross-sectional anatomy courses to develop a comprehensive understanding of anatomy from multiple viewpoints. Additionally, actively seeking out seminars, courses, and publications is key to staying well-informed about the field’s most recent developments.
Impact of Errors in 3D ImagingMagnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)