Computer-assisted bronchoscopy: aims and research perspectives.

The introduction of spiral computed tomography (CT) of the thoracic cavity has allowed the development of new visualization tools. These tools provide a three-dimensional (3-D) endoluminal reconstruction of the tracheobronchial tree, as it would be viewed through a fibroscopic instrument. However, 3-D reconstruction techniques cannot replace conventional fibroscopy, which remains indispensable for obtaining histological samples. Furthermore, when CT-detected mediastinal or parenchymal lesions are not seen during fiberoptic bronchoscopy, guiding transbronchial needle biopsy is a major challenge. Computer-guided transbronchial biopsy involves the fusion of image data from both CT slices and bronchoscopic video sequences. This fusion is described in this paper in two parts. First, we present a segmentation process, using mathematical morphology operators, in order to analyze the video sequence and localize the bronchoscopic camera within the tracheobronchial tree. Second, we present tools used to match this localization knowledge with CT data. Finally, we produce images that create a bronchoscopic augmented reality, using elements extracted from the CT examination.