Representing flexible endoscope shapes with hermite splines
Published in SPIE Medical Imaging, 2010
Recommended citation: Chen ECS, Fowler SA, Hookey LC, Ellis RE, (2010). "Representing flexible endoscope shapes with hermite splines"; Medical Imaging 2010: Visualization, Image-Guided Procedures, and Modeling. 76251D. pp. 421-427. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.844234
Navigation of a flexible endoscope is a challenging surgical task: the shape of the end effector of the endoscope, interacting with surrounding tissues, determine the surgical path along which the endoscope is pushed. We present a navigational system that visualized the shape of the flexible endoscope tube to assist gastrointestinal surgeons in performing Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES). The system used an electromagnetic positional tracker, a catheter embedded with multiple electromagnetic sensors, and graphical user interface for visualization. Hermite splines were used to interpret the position and direction outputs of the endoscope sensors. We conducted NOTES experiments on live swine involving 6 gastrointestinal and 6 general surgeons. Participants who used the device first were 14.2% faster than when not using the device. Participants who used the device second were 33.6% faster than the first session. The trend suggests that spline-based visualization is a promising adjunct during NOTES procedures.