3D structure from endoscopic images.

Endoscopy is an important procedure for the diagnostic and therapy of various pathologies. In 2000, the Institute for Process Control and Robotics/Universität Karlsruhe (TH) has developed a basic framework for reconstructing 3D models from image sequences. The framework is able to realise automatic navigation for new colonoscopes with own driving system and on the other hand to offer a virtual 3D endoscopic view during bad visibility conditions caused by e.g. abrupt bleeding. This method generates a 3D-model intraoperatively compared to preoperatively generated 3D-models in virtual endoscopy.