Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for automatic local path planning for virtual colonoscopy

US7081088B2 · kind B2 · utility

15Cited by
3References
34Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 8, 2004
Grant dateJul 25, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 1, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06V2201/03
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for automatic local path planning for a virtual endoscope comprises the steps of defining a sub volume around a current endoscope position in a lumen; performing a region growing inside the lumen, starting from the current endoscope position; calculating and clustering the intersection of the region with the faces of a cube circumscribing the sub volume; calculating approximated centerline paths from the current endoscope position to the center of each cluster formed in the preceding step; comparing each of the centerline paths with a current path exhibited by the endoscope; and selecting an optimal centerline path based on the comparison.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.