PicTree-like methods have been in clinical use use for over 10 years. Sophisticated methods have been developed for segmenting, processing, analyzing and displaying large CT (Computed Tomography) and MR (Magnetic Resonance) data sets. Such capabilities are available in the TrueSolid product line from Octree. PicTrees are used for communicating medical information, usually after they have been processed and "cleaned up" by TrueSolid.
The object below is a skull from a 11.7M voxel CT data set. It has been sectioned with a cut plane to expose the interior. The PicTree contains all of the resolution of the original scans. The patient has sustained injuries due to a facial trauma.
The following object is a 3.8M voxel heart study from a MR scanner. A special PicView viewer is used to generate a "MIP" (Maximum Intensity Projection) image. (Please be patient when it's loading; it's a 1.8MB data set.) This mode of display has been found to be effective in enhancing the visualization of blood vessels.