RECONSTRUCTION AND VISUALIZATION OF 3D MODELS OF COLONIC SURFACE

This paper presents an innovative technology called 3D virtual colonos copy, which incorporates several advanced visualization techniques to enable the physician to virtually examine the inner surface of the ent ire colon for identifying and inspecting colonic polyps. We first desc ribe our unique process of acquiring and reconstructing a patient's co lon model, followed by the novel visualization algorithms that we have developed to provide automatic planned navigations as well as interac tive guided navigations inside the colon. Finally, we present our expe rimental results on a simulated pipe phantom, the Visible Human data s et, and patient data.