Virtual bronchoscopy of peripheral nodules using arteries as surrogate pathways

摘要: The recent introduction of ultrathin bronchoscopy offers considerable promise for diagnosing even small peripheral lung nodules previously considered inaccessible routine flexible bronchoscopy. However this requires obtaining an accurate roadmap prior to endoscopy. Although virtual (VB) has proved be a useful tool planning transbronchial interventions involving the central airways, date, VB received little attention providing roadmaps lesions. This may especially problematic, as bronchoscopes can now access airways not visualized on high-resolution CT scanners. We propose extend reach by using arteries surrogates bronchi that cannot identified with technique. Since every bronchus is accompanied artery, it should hypothetically possible substitute one another and derive navigational roadmaps. paper presents preliminary investigation concept, combination endoscopic techniques. Virtual angioscopic bronchoscopic flythroughs are created transition points selected at easily images corresponding structures. proximal bronchial path distal arterial then combined presented single continuous flythrough. Our investigations show expected, local geometry airway artery similar. In addition visual inspection, we use segmentation trees their tree models. Selected paths from each model compared various similarity measures in order demonstrate correspondence. anticipate technique will enable evaluation unreachable nodules.