Quantification of Deformation in Navigated Bronchoscopy

Type: Bachelor/Master/Diploma Thesis
Thesis by: N.N.
Advisor: Nassir Navab
Supervision by: Tobias Reichl

Abstract

In navigated bronchoscopy one particular challenge is the deformation of the lung during patient movement, breathing and coughing.

By combining available data from CT/virtual bronchoscopy, the video stream from the bronchoscope and electromagnetic tracking, the deformation of the lung should be quantified. For the part of the lung which is reachable with bronchoscope, a patient-specific map of deformation due to respiratory motion should be generated. Methods for compensation of this respiration motion should be evaluated.

Task

It is possible to render preoperative CT data in an appearance similar to real bronchoscopic images, called virtual bronchoscopy. The CT data set can be searched for camera positions yielding a virtual bronchoscopy image matching the real image as closely as possible, thus providing a way to locate the current location of the bronchoscope camera. In practice, however, due to the overal similar appearance of the lower airways, it can be used to incrementally track the bronchoscope from a known starting position.

By combining available data from CT/virtual bronchoscopy, the video stream from the bronchoscope and electromagnetic tracking, the deformation of the lung should be quantified. For the part of the lung which is reachable with bronchoscope, a patient-specific map of deformation due to respiratory motion should be generated. Methods for compensation of this respiration motion should be evaluated.

This project is going to be located at the IFL lab and will be done in close collaboration with the Pneumology department of the Kinikum rechts der Isar. Depending on progress of the project, clinical trials e.g. for compensation methods might be possible.

Requirements

Working knowledge of C++ required. Knowledge of OpenGL and Qt is of advantage, but can be acquired at the beginning of this project.

Literature

• Mori et al. "Tracking of a bronchoscope using epipolar geometry analysis and intensity-based image registration of real and virtual endoscopic images". Medical Image Analysis, 2002, 6, 321-336
• Mori et al. "Hybrid bronchoscope tracking using a magnetic tracking sensor and image registration". MICCAI, 2005, 3750, 543-550
• Hostettler et al. "Real Time Simulation of Organ Motions Induced by Breathing: First Evaluation on Patient Data". Biomedical Simulation, 2006, 4072, 9-18
• Blackall et al. "Alignment of sparse freehand 3-D ultrasound with preoperative images of the liver using models of respiratory motion and deformation". IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 2005, 24, 1405-1416