Abstract
Although flexible endoscopy is only 25 years old, a new technology may soon be used to provide the same view of internal organs without inserting an instrument. This is virtual endoscopy. By acquiring patient-specific high-resolution digital images with a helical CT scan or MRI, individual organs can be graphically isolated or “segmented” into fully interactive 3-D reconstructions on a computer monitor. Applying sophisticated flight-tracking programs from military pilots, the organs can be “flown through,” giving a view identical to endoscopy. In the future we will fly through data instead of inserting endoscopic instruments for gastrointestinal endoscopic diagnosis.
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The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the author and are not to be construed as official, or as reflecting the views of the Department of the Army, the Advanced Research Projects Agency, or the Department of Defense
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Satava, R.M. Virtual endoscopy. Surg Endosc 10, 173–174 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00188366
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00188366