VIRTUAL ENDOSCOPY - APPLICATION OF 3D VISUALIZATION TO MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS

Virtual endoscopy is a diagnostic technique in which a three-dimension al imaging technology (CT scan, MRI scan, ultrasound) is used to creat e a computer-generated representation of a specific patient's anatomy or organ, and then the virtual organ is ''flown through,'' giving the same visual impression and image as if the corresponding real organ ha d a video or fiberoptic endoscopic procedure performed. The potential is to provide a computer diagnosis to replace an endoscopic procedure, not only for conventional endoscopy such as bronchoscopy, colonoscopy , sinusoscopy, or hysteroscopy, but also for areas where traditional e ndoscopy is not possible, such as the inner ear, spleen, lymphatic tis sues. With sophisticated signal processing and computational analysis, it may be possible in the future to perform a ''numerical biopsy,'' t hat is, make a tissue diagnosis based upon spectral or other informati on contained in the images.