Mummifying Alan: Egypts Last Secret

On October 24th, 2011, the world went into euphoria when BBC Channel 4 of United Kingdom broadcasted a documentary on the mummified body of Mr. Alan Billis, a UK Taxi Driver as the first and only man to have been mummified in the last 3,000 years. To add to the excitement, for the first time in the history, the inside and the outside of the freshly mummified body could be visualized digitally using a digital visualization technology developed by a Malaysian Company, iGene Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of INFOVALLEY Group Malaysia. Mummys mysterious art left by the ancient
Figure 1: Mr. Alan Billis volunteered himself to be discoveries, it direct to variety of research area such as the mummified using Ancient determination of age and cause of death, genetic examination, or Egyptian methods.

Egyptian has captured our imagination for centuries. Since the

face and body reconstruction. Besides, scientists also have been investigating the secret formula that has been used to embalm the mummys bodies that survived over thousands of year. In January 2011, Mr. Alan Billis passed away in a UK Hospital and he has donated his body for the mummification research program. Being the first man to be mummified after 3,000 years, his mummified body was place safely at the Sheffield Medico-Legal Center for early stage monitoring. Alan Billis who died of lung cancer at age 61, was just an ordinary taxi driver before he decided to donate his body to be mummified like the ancient Egyptians. Prior to the embalming process, Alans body was scanned using standard CT scanner with a special protocol given by iGene for pre-mummified visualization.

Subsequently, his body went through embalming process and took almost a day started with removal of organ except for the heart and brain. Then his body was soaked in Natron solution. A specific ingredient and technique studied and developed by Dr. Stephen Buckley to be used and proven on the deceased body of Alan. After 35 days, Alans body was dried out in a chamber and wrapped with linen bandages. The whole process was fully documented by BBC Channel 4 camera crew which was first aired on 24th October 2011 for the science documentary program in UK. Being mummified in the 21st century, with advantage of high technology and full fledge facility, Alans body was able to be digitally documented and visualized without any destruction to the external and internal body structure. The Digital Autopsy Technology of iGene was deployed to visualize the archeological research in the study of Alan, The Mummy! Alan was scanned again post-mummification and the raw data was loaded into the Digital Autopsy Software Solution of iGene, which provided accurate details of the new age mummy. The mummy was rendered in 3D volume by reconstructing thousands of slices of CT scan raw images in an elegant manner. Alan became the first mummy to have been digitally captured and conserved without any alteration to his body. The mummified body of Alan has also presented with an opportunity to be studied on a time-scale over a long period using the Digital Autopsy Technology to appreciate changes in tissues and structures.

Figure 2: iDASS, a Digital Autopsy Software to Visualize Alan, The Mummy

Wrapped in linen, Alan was sent to Sheffield Teaching Hospital to be scanned using a MSCT. The Northern General Hospital, situated in the North of Sheffield scanned at a thickness of 625 microns (0.625mm), several times thinner than the 750 microns slices used to create the 3D visualization of the last Egyptian Mummy, King Tutankhamen. The first complete full body data of Alan was visualized using iDASSTM (Digital Autopsy Software System). A high definition 3D volume of Alan which allows researchers to distinguish finer details of the body was generated by iDASS. This allows the researchers that include a forensic pathologist, chemist and forensic anthropologist to analyze and have meaningful visualization of the mummy, most importantly, without invasion and destruction to the physical body.

Figure 3: Mr. Billis Wrapped in Linen and Ready to be Scanned using MSCT

Figure 4: Mr. Billis wrapped in linen viewed in iDASS Visualization

Figure 5: Mr. Billis Pre-Mummification Digital Body Showing Internal Organ Intact

Professor Dr. Peter Vanezis, the world-renowned UK Forensic Pathologist who worked on the deceased body of Alan examined the mummy both physically and digitally using Digital Autopsy Technology and stated that it is a history made and in the making as the world could now understand and continue to learn about the science of mummification in years to come without having to destroy the invaluable body of Mr. Alan Billis. Other common finding that appears in ancient mummified body can also be visualized from the 3D reconstructed volume, such as visualization of the brain tissue without opening the skull.
Figure 6: Prof. Peter Venesis

Figure 7: Leathery Appearance of the Skin

Figure 8: The Brain Tissues Dried and Settled at theBack of Head, a Common Feature of Mummies

The advanced medical imaging technology as introduced by iGene has made what was not possible before a real possibility and has opened up many new possibilities. About iDASSTM Digital Autopsy Technology iDASSTM application has been developed by iGene Sdn. Bhd. (an INFOVALLEY Company), based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. iGene has deploye a complete Digital Autopsy Facility at the Forensic Department, Hospital Kuala Lumpur in Year 2010.

About the Documentary: Title: Mummifying Alan: Egypts Last Secret Channel: Channel 4, aired 24th Oct 2011, 9pm Cast and Crew - Blinks Films Director: Kenny Scott Executive Producer: Justine Kershaw, Gillian Mosely Executive Producer: Gillian Mosely Producer: Laura Jones Visualization Technology: iGene Sdn. Bhd. (an INFOVALLEY Company)