PATIENT-SPECIFIC ANATOMIC MODELS FROM 3-DIMENSIONAL MEDICAL IMAGE DATA FOR CLINICAL-APPLICATIONS IN SURGERY AND ENDOSCOPY

Virtual surgery and endoscopy use computer-generated volume renderings and/or models created from 3D medical image scans (CT or MRI) of indi vidual patients, The patient's anatomy, including organs and other int ernal structures of interest, are then traversed in a virtual ''fly-th rough,'' giving nearly the same visual impression as if the correspond ing real organ was being examined intraoperatively, or as if an actual video or fiberoptic endoscopic procedure was being performed. Such vi rtual examinations may provide capabilities and information not possib le or available in physical examinations. The potential is to provide a noninvasive computer-aided treatment plan or diagnostic screening pr ocedure to augment or replace conventional invasive procedures. With s ophisticated image processsing and computational analysis, it is possi ble to perform realistic and useful simulations of surgical and endosc opic procedures, including ''virtual dissection and resection'' and '' virtual biopsy.'' Surgical margins can be accurately assessed and diff erential tissue diagnoses made based upon spectral or other informatio n contained in the patient specific images and models. Copyright (C) 1 997 by W.B. Saunders Company.