Virtual Endoscopy

Virtual endoscopy is a valuable independent diagnostic tool of increasing importance. This book provides an in-depth evaluation of the technical aspects of virtual endoscopy, and detailed information on indications, implementation, and interpretation in a clinical setting. It is designed to support radiologists and educators in approaching this rapidly developing field. It will also assist consumers in judging the applicability of software and hardware packages for virtual endoscopy, and will benefit producers by highlighting current limitations and potential improvements from a clinical viewpoint.

Virtual endoscopy progressively enters the real world The development of virtual reality is one of the most striking features of our Western societies. Beside chil dren games and movies, its scope has expanded to medical imaging through 3D CT scan surface or volume re constructions. Whatever the site clinicians are able to perform real endoscopy (RE), radiologists can now also provide virtual endoscopy (VE) images. VE enters our medical practice. The next question is to weigh the pros and cons. VE has the unique advantage to offer high-quality images obtained through a noninvasive and well-tolera ted procedure performed in outpatients. Compared to RE, it carries no risk of bleeding, perforation or trans mission of viruses. Importantly, VE can pass high-grade stenoses affecting large bowel, urinary tract or tra cheobronchial tree, and visualize areas hard to visit by optic fibers such as intracranial regions. 3D VE images can be commented with patients, and this might reduce potential misunderstanding and its medico-legal consequences. Last but not least, VE is the sole alternative offered both to those who refuse RE, and to severely ill elderly patients. Then, should we consider VE as the Deus ex machina of modem medical imaging - with CT scan as rna china - ? Clearly, the answer is no, given VE knows severals limits and pitfalls. One of the most important me rits of this book is to discuss honestly these aspects. First, VE will never allow to perform biopsies or resections.

Virtual endoscopy progressively enters the real world The development of virtual reality is one of the most striking features of our Western societies. Beside chil dren games and movies, its scope has expanded to medical imaging through 3D CT scan surface or volume re constructions. Whatever the site clinicians are able to perform real endoscopy (RE), radiologists can now also provide virtual endoscopy (VE) images. VE enters our medical practice. The next question is to weigh the pros and cons. VE has the unique advantage to offer high-quality images obtained through a noninvasive and well-tolera ted procedure performed in outpatients. Compared to RE, it carries no risk of bleeding, perforation or trans mission of viruses. Importantly, VE can pass high-grade stenoses affecting large bowel, urinary tract or tra cheobronchial tree, and visualize areas hard to visit by optic fibers such as intracranial regions. 3D VE images can be commented with patients, and this might reduce potential misunderstanding and its medico-legal consequences. Last but not least, VE is the sole alternative offered both to those who refuse RE, and to severely ill elderly patients. Then, should we consider VE as the Deus ex machina of modem medical imaging - with CT scan as rna china - ? Clearly, the answer is no, given VE knows severals limits and pitfalls. One of the most important me rits of this book is to discuss honestly these aspects. First, VE will never allow to perform biopsies or resections.

This book is unique in its approach, covering the impact of virtual endoscopy and 3D reconstruction on surgical modalities and perioperative airway options. Airway management is an essential skill that is practiced daily by almost all anesthetists across the world. Most of the anesthesia-related morbidities and mortalities in the perioperative period are associated with respiratory complications, either of airway or pulmonary problems. Thus, the prediction of airway complications in perioperative period has been an active research field for many decades and is a cornerstone of perioperative anesthesia assessment and management. Virtual endoscopy & 3D reconstruction is a novel, reliable and non-invasive airway assessment tool that is able to reconstruct simple CT images to provide a clear view of the airway down to the bronchial trees, and offers the highest possible sensitivity, comparable with fiberoptic endoscopic pictures. This revolutionary tool avoids the hazards of invasive airway assessment by fiber-optic bronchoscopy, like bleeding from airway masses, sedation induced airway collapse and other complications. This book is a valuable resource for anesthesiologists, intensivists, surgeons, radiologists, otolaryngologists, medical students as well as residents in training.

The Handbook of Medical Image Processing and Analysis is a comprehensive compilation of concepts and techniques used for processing and analyzing medical images after they have been generated or digitized. The Handbook is organized into six sections that relate to the main functions: enhancement, segmentation, quantification, registration, visualization, and compression, storage and communication.The second edition is extensively revised and updated throughout, reflecting new technology and research, and includes new chapters on: higher order statistics for tissue segmentation; tumor growth modeling in oncological image analysis; analysis of cell nuclear features in fluorescence microscopy images; imaging and communication in medical and public health informatics; and dynamic mammogram retrieval from web-based image libraries.For those looking to explore advanced concepts and access essential information, this second edition of Handbook of Medical Image Processing and Analysis is an invaluable resource. It remains the most complete single volume reference for biomedical engineers, researchers, professionals and those working in medical imaging and medical image processing.Dr. Isaac N. Bankman is the supervisor of a group that specializes on imaging, laser and sensor systems, modeling, algorithms and testing at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. He received his BSc degree in Electrical Engineering from Bogazici University, Turkey, in 1977, the MSc degree in Electronics from University of Wales, Britain, in 1979, and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the Israel Institute of Technology, Israel, in 1985. He is a member of SPIE. Includes contributions from internationally renowned authors from leading institutions NEW! 35 of 56 chapters have been revised and updated. Additionally, five new chapters have been added on important topics incluling Nonlinear 3D Boundary Detection, Adaptive Algorithms for Cancer Cytological Diagnosis, Dynamic Mammogram Retrieval from Web-Based Image Libraries, Imaging and Communication in Health Informatics and Tumor Growth Modeling in Oncological Image Analysis. Provides a complete collection of algorithms in computer processing of medical images Contains over 60 pages of stunning, four-color images

- 'Big' book has sold close to 1400 in just over a year and is maintaining high rate of sale. - This practical handbook fully explains the essentials of this state-of-the-art technique to radiologists, gastroenterologists, radiology residents, and technologists. - Makes the key chapters of the big book accessible and affordable to the resident.

Visualization in Medicine is the first book on visualization and its application to problems in medical diagnosis, education, and treatment. The book describes the algorithms, the applications and their validation (how reliable are the results?), and the clinical evaluation of the applications (are the techniques useful?). It discusses visualization techniques from research literature as well as the compromises required to solve practical clinical problems. The book covers image acquisition, image analysis, and interaction techniques designed to explore and analyze the data. The final chapter shows how visualization is used for planning liver surgery, one of the most demanding surgical disciplines. The book is based on several years of the authors' teaching and research experience. Both authors have initiated and lead a variety of interdisciplinary projects involving computer scientists and medical doctors, primarily radiologists and surgeons. * A core field of visualization and graphics missing a dedicated book until now * Written by pioneers in the field and illustrated in full color * Covers theory as well as practice

Few fields have witnessed such impressive advances as the application of computer technology to radiology. The progress achieved has revolutionized diagnosis and greatly facilitated treatment selection and accurate planning of procedures. This book, written by leading experts from many different countries, provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the role of 3D image processing. The first section covers a wide range of technical aspects in an informative way. This is followed by the main section, in which the principal clinical applications are described and discussed in depth. To complete the picture, the final section focuses on recent developments in functional imaging and computer-aided surgery. This book will prove invaluable to all who have an interest in this complex but vitally important field.