Fast colon centreline calculation using optimised 3D topological thinning

Topological thinning can be used to accurately identify the central path through a computer model of the colon generated using computed tomography colonography. The central path can subsequently be used to simplify the task of navigation within the colon model. Unfortunately standard topological thinning is an extremely inefficient process. We present an optimised version of topological thinning that significantly improves the performance of centreline calculation without compromising the accuracy of the result. This is achieved by using lookup tables to reduce the computational burden associated with the thinning process

Nonlinear tube-fitting for the analysis of anatomical and functional structures

We are concerned with the estimation of the exterior surface and interior summaries of tube-shaped anatomical structures. This interest is motivated by two distinct scientific goals, one dealing with the distribution of HIV microbicide in the colon and the other with measuring degradation in white-matter tracts in the brain. Our problem is posed as the estimation of the support of a distribution in three dimensions from a sample from that distribution, possibly measured with error. We propose a novel tube-fitting algorithm to construct such estimators. Further, we conduct a simulation study to aid in the choice of a key parameter of the algorithm, and we test our algorithm with validation study tailored to the motivating data sets. Finally, we apply the tube-fitting algorithm to a colon image produced by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and to a white-matter tract image produced using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/10-AOAS384 the Annals of Applied Statistics (http://www.imstat.org/aoas/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Virtual and Augmented Reality in Medical Education

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are two contemporary simulation models that are currently upgrading medical education. VR provides a 3D and dynamic view of structures and the ability of the user to interact with them. The recent technological advances in haptics, display systems, and motion detection allow the user to have a realistic and interactive experience, enabling VR to be ideal for training in hands-on procedures. Consequently, surgical and other interventional procedures are the main fields of application of VR. AR provides the ability of projecting virtual information and structures over physical objects, thus enhancing or altering the real environment. The integration of AR applications in the understanding of anatomical structures and physiological mechanisms seems to be beneficial. Studies have tried to demonstrate the validity and educational effect of many VR and AR applications, in many different areas, employed via various hardware platforms. Some of them even propose a curriculum that integrates these methods. This chapter provides a brief history of VR and AR in medicine, as well as the principles and standards of their function. Finally, the studies that show the effect of the implementation of these methods in different fields of medical training are summarized and presented

Robot Autonomy for Surgery

Autonomous surgery involves having surgical tasks performed by a robot operating under its own will, with partial or no human involvement. There are several important advantages of automation in surgery, which include increasing precision of care due to sub-millimeter robot control, real-time utilization of biosignals for interventional care, improvements to surgical efficiency and execution, and computer-aided guidance under various medical imaging and sensing modalities. While these methods may displace some tasks of surgical teams and individual surgeons, they also present new capabilities in interventions that are too difficult or go beyond the skills of a human. In this chapter, we provide an overview of robot autonomy in commercial use and in research, and present some of the challenges faced in developing autonomous surgical robots

Искусственный интеллект при колоректальном раке: обзор

The study objective: the study objective is to examine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of Colorectal Cancer (CRC) and discuss the future potential of AI in CRC. Material and Methods. The Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Medline, and eLIBRARY databases were used to search for the publications. A study on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of Colorectal Cancer (CRC) was discovered in more than 100 sources. In the review, data from 83 articles were incorporated. Results. The review article explores the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine, specifically focusing on its applications in colorectal cancer (CRC). It discusses the stages of AI development for CRC, including molecular understanding, image-based diagnosis, drug design, and individualized treatment. The benefits of AI in medical image analysis are highlighted, improving diagnosis accuracy and inspection quality. Challenges in AI development are addressed, such as data standardization and the interpretability of machine learning algorithms. The potential of AI in treatment decision support, precision medicine, and prognosis prediction is discussed, emphasizing the role of AI in selecting optimal treatments and improving surgical precision. Ethical and regulatory considerations in integrating AI are mentioned, including patient trust, data security, and liability in AI-assisted surgeries. The review emphasizes the importance of an AI standard system, dataset standardization, and integrating clinical knowledge into AI algorithms. Overall, the article provides an overview of the current research on AI in CRC diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, discussing its benefits, challenges, and future prospects in improving medical outcomes.Цель исследования - оценка возможностей использования искусственного интеллекта (ИИ) в диагностике, лечении и прогнозировании колоректального рака (КРР), а также обсуждение потенциала ИИ в лечении КРР. Материал и методы. Проведен поиск научных публикаций в поисковых системах Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Medline и eLIBRARY. Было просмотрено более 100 источников по применению ИИ для диагностики, лечения и прогнозирования КРР. В обзор включены данные из 83 статей. Результаты. Проведен анализ литературы, посвященной применению искусственного интеллекта в медицине, особое внимание уделено его использованию при колоректальном раке. Обсуждаются этапы развития ИИ при КРР, включая молекулярную верификацию, лучевую диагностику, разработку лекарств и индивидуальное лечение. Подчеркнуты преимущества ИИ в анализе медицинских изображений, таких как КТ, МРТ и ПЭТ, что повышает точность диагностики. Рассматриваются такие проблемы развития ИИ, как стандартизация данных и интерпретируемость алгоритмов машинного обучения. Подчеркивается роль ИИ в выборе оптимальной тактики лечения и повышении эффективности хирургического вмешательства. Учитываются этические и нормативные аспекты ИИ, включая доверие пациентов, безопасность данных и ответственность в проведении операций с использованием ИИ. Обсуждаются преимущества ИИ в диагностике, лечении и прогнозировании колоректального рака, проблемы и перспективы улучшения результатов лечения

Intraoperative Endoscopic Augmented Reality in Third Ventriculostomy

In neurosurgery, as a result of the brain-shift, the preoperative patient models used as a intraoperative reference change. A meaningful use of the preoperative virtual models during the operation requires for a model update. The NEAR project, Neuroendoscopy towards Augmented Reality, describes a new camera calibration model for high distorted lenses and introduces the concept of active endoscopes endowed with with navigation, camera calibration, augmented reality and triangulation modules