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Robust colonoscope tracking method for colon deformations utilizing coarse-to-fine correspondence findings

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International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Polyps found during CT colonography can be removed by colonoscopic polypectomy. A colonoscope navigation system that navigates a physician to polyp positions while performing the colonoscopic polypectomy is required. Colonoscope tracking methods are essential for implementing colonoscope navigation systems. Previous colonoscope tracking methods have failed when the colon deforms during colonoscope insertions. This paper proposes a colonoscope tracking method that is robust against colon deformations.

Method

The proposed method generates a colon centerline from a CT volume and a curved line representing the colonoscope shape (colonoscope line) by using electromagnetic sensors. We find correspondences between points on a deformed colon centerline and colonoscope line by a landmark-based coarse correspondence finding and a length-based fine correspondence finding processes. Even if the coarse correspondence finding process fails to find some correspondences, which occurs with colon deformations, the fine correspondence finding process is able to find correct correspondences by using previously recorded line lengths.

Result

Experimental results using a colon phantom showed that the proposed method finds the colonoscope tip position with tracking errors smaller than 50 mm in most trials. A physician who specializes in gastroenterology commented that tracking errors smaller than 50 mm are acceptable. This is because polyps are observable from the colonoscope camera when positions of the colonoscope tip and polyps are closer than 50 mm.

Conclusions

We developed a colonoscope tracking method that is robust against deformations of the colon. Because the process was designed to consider colon deformations, the proposed method can track the colonoscope tip position even if the colon deforms.

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Acknowledgments

Parts of this research were supported by the MEXT, the JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 24700494, 21103006, 25242047, 26108006, 26560255, the JSPS Bilateral International Collaboration Grants, and the Kayamori Foundation of Informational Science Advancement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Information Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Masahiro Oda & Hiroaki Kondo

  2. School of Information Science, Aichi Institute of Technology, 1247 Yachigusa, Yagusa-cho, Toyota, Aichi, Japan

    Takayuki Kitasaka

  3. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Kazuhiro Furukawa, Ryoji Miyahara & Hidemi Goto

  4. Department of Endoscopy, Nagoya University Hospital, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Yoshiki Hirooka

  5. Technische Universität München, Boltzmannstr. 3, 85748, Garching bei München, Germany

    Nassir Navab

  6. Information and Communications, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Kensaku Mori

Authors
  1. Masahiro Oda
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  2. Hiroaki Kondo
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  3. Takayuki Kitasaka
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  4. Kazuhiro Furukawa
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  5. Ryoji Miyahara
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  6. Yoshiki Hirooka
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  7. Hidemi Goto
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  8. Nassir Navab
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  9. Kensaku Mori
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Correspondence to Masahiro Oda.

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Oda, M., Kondo, H., Kitasaka, T. et al. Robust colonoscope tracking method for colon deformations utilizing coarse-to-fine correspondence findings. Int J CARS 12, 39–50 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-016-1456-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-016-1456-6

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