Virtual voyage: interactive navigation in the human colon

Virtual colonoscopy is a non-invasive computerized medical procedure for examining the entire colon to detect polyps. We present an interactive virtual colonoscopy method, which uses a physicallybased camera control model and a hardware-assisted visibility algorithm. By employing a potential field and rigid body dynamics, our camera control supplies a convenient and intuitive mechanism for examining the colonic surface while avoiding collisions. Our Zbuffer-assisted visibility algorithm culls invisible regions based on their visibility through a chain of portals, thus providing interactive rendering speed. We demonstrate our method with experimental results on a plastic pipe phantom, the Visible Human, and several patients. CR Categories: I.3.3 [Picture/Image Generation]: Display Algorithms; I.3.5 [Computational Geometry and Object Modeling]: Physically Based Modeling; I.3.6 [Methodologies and Techniques]: Interaction Techniques; I.3.7 [Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism]: Hidden...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1997
• Where: SIGGRAPH
• Authors: Lichan Hong, Shigeru Muraki, Arie E. Kaufman, Dirk Bartz, Taosong He
• Keywords: Camera Control, Computer Graphics, SIGGRAPH 1997, Virtual Colonoscopy, Visibility Algorithm