3D reconstruction of cystoscopy videos for comprehensive bladder records

Kristen L. Lurie, Roland Angst, Dimitar V. Zlatev, Joseph C. Liao, Audrey K. Bowden

Biomedical Optics Express · 2017 · 58 citations · 28 references

DOIFull text

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TL;DR

White‑light endoscopy is widely used for diagnostic imaging, yet its 2D images cannot be correlated with 3D organ morphology, limiting quantitative or longitudinal studies and causing most videos to be discarded after real‑time guidance. The study introduces a computational method that reconstructs and visualizes a 3D organ model from an endoscopic video, capturing the organ’s shape and surface appearance. The approach employs advanced computer‑vision techniques on unmodified, clinical‑grade endoscopy hardware with minimal acquisition constraints, and its accuracy and robustness were validated on cystoscopy videos from tissue‑mimicking bladder phantoms and demonstrated clinically during operating‑room cystoscopy for bladder cancer evaluation. The method enhances the visual medical record, is broadly applicable to endoscopy, and represents a significant advance in cancer surveillance opportunities for large‑scale cancer research.

Abstract

White light endoscopy is widely used for diagnostic imaging of the interior of organs and body cavities, but the inability to correlate individual 2D images with 3D organ morphology limits its utility for quantitative or longitudinal studies of disease physiology or cancer surveillance. As a result, most endoscopy videos, which carry enormous data potential, are used only for real-time guidance and are discarded after collection. We present a computational method to reconstruct and visualize a 3D model of organs from an endoscopic video that captures the shape and surface appearance of the organ. A key aspect of our strategy is the use of advanced computer vision techniques and unmodified, clinical-grade endoscopy hardware with few constraints on the image acquisition protocol, which presents a low barrier to clinical translation. We validate the accuracy and robustness of our reconstruction and co-registration method using cystoscopy videos from tissue-mimicking bladder phantoms and show clinical utility during cystoscopy in the operating room for bladder cancer evaluation. As our method can powerfully augment the visual medical record of the appearance of internal organs, it is broadly applicable to endoscopy and represents a significant advance in cancer surveillance opportunities for big-data cancer research.

References

28