VirEn: A Virtual Endoscopy System

Virtual endoscopy systems are promising tools for the simplification of daily clinical procedures. In this paper, a conceptual framework for a virtual endoscopy system (VirEn) is proposed, which is intended to be a highly interactive system. Research efforts have concentrated on the generation of an optimal path for the automated navigation of the data set. Extensions to existing thinning algorithms used to generate the optimal path are presented and discussed. First results produced with VirEn are shown. Keywords: Volume Visualization, Virtual Endoscopy, Navigation, Thinning 1 Introduction In recent years, the importance of medical imaging in patients care systems is increasing due to the evolution of 3D imaging modalities, like CT or MRI. Computer graphics techniques for the visualization of the acquired 3D imaging data sets are topics of research. Virtual endoscopy is a promising new technique to explore hollow organs and anatomical cavities. The fields of application are manifold..