Image-guided endoscopy for lung-cancer assessment

A system for virtual-endoscopic 3D medical image assessment and follow-on live endoscopy is described. The development and results focus on 3D CT images of the chest and lung-cancer assessment. Two stages are involved in the assessment. In Stage-1, the physician uses a series of tools for visualization and 3D central-axes analysis to build a guidance plan (a "case study"). Next, during Stage-2 endoscopy, the physician links the computer system and case study to the endoscope. The endoscopic video is registered to 3D virtual image data to give the physician "augmented reality" information to better perform the endoscopy. Results illustrate the system's utility for animal and human cases.