<title>Software components for medical image visualization and surgical planning</title>

Abstract

Purpose:The development of new applications in medical image visualization and surgical planning requires the completion of many common tasks such as image reading and re-sampling, segmentation, volume rendering, and surface display. Intra-operative use requires an interface to a tracking system and image registration, and the application requires basic, easy to understand user interface components. Rapid changes in computer and end-application hardware , as well as in operating systems and network environments make it desirable to have a hardware and operating system as an independent collection of reusable software components that can be assembled rapidly to prototype new applications. Methods:Using the OpenGL based Visualization Toolkit as a base, we have developed a set of components that implement the above mentioned tasks. The components are written in both C++ and Python, but all are accessible from Python, a byte compiled "scripting language." The components have been used on the Red Hat Linux, Silicon Graphics Irix, Microsoft Windows, and Apple OS X platforms. Rigorous object-oriented software design methods have been applied to ensure hardware independence and a standard application programming interface (API). The re are components to acquire, display, and register images from MRI, MRA, CT, Computed Rotational Angiography (CRA), Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA), 2D and 3D ultrasound, video and physiological recordings. Interfaces to various tracking systems for intra-operative use have also been implemented. Results:The described components have been implemented and tested. To date they have been used to create image manipulation and viewing tools, a deep brain functional atlas, a 3D ultrasound acquisition and display platform, a prototype minimally invasive robotic coronary artery bypass graft planning system, a tracked neuro-endoscope guidance system and a frame-based stereotaxy neurosurgery planning tool. The frame-based stereotaxy module has been licensed and certified for use in a commercial image guidance system. Conclusions:It is feasible to encapsulate image manipulation and surgical guidance tasks in individual, reusable software modules. These modules allow for faster development of new applications. The strict application of object oriented software design methods allows individual components of such a system to make the transition from the research environment to a commercial one.

Application of a Population Based Electrophysiological Database to the Planning and Guidance of Deep Brain Stereotactic Neurosurgery

“…It is unsupervised, platform independent, and multi-threaded to take advantage of multi-processor computers and cluster computing environments. This algorithm was implemented using a series of multi-threaded hierarchical transformation classes that we have contributed to the vtk code repository [7,8].…”

<title>Image-guided surgery and therapy: current status and future directions</title>

“…In our lab, we have developed a set of such components that address some of the above-mentioned concerns. 59 They are written in both C++ (some as VTk classes) and Python, but all are accessible from Python, a byte compiled scripting language that is gaining rapid acceptance. Applications built using these components have been used on the Red Hat Linux, Silicon Graphics Irix, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS X platforms.…”

“…We have also implemented interfaces to various tracking systems for intra-operative use. Over the past two years, these components have been used to create general image manipulation and viewing tools, a deep brain functional atlas 31 (Figure 5), a 3D ultrasound acquisition and display platform 24 , a tracked neuroendoscope guidance system 61 (Figure 6), a prototype minimally invasive robotic coronary artery bypass graft planning system 58 (Figure 7), and a frame-based stereotaxy neurosurgery planning tool 59 . We believe that by following this approach, new applications can be developed more rapidly, they can be readily tailored towards the needs of users, and the transition from a research to a clinical/commercial environment can be facilitated.…”

Safety of Interactive Image-Guided Surgery

“…This procedure is the gold standard for registration because it minimizes errors in transformation. This procedure is, however more invasive than other methods Birkfellner et al (1998);Starreveld et al (2001).…”

“…The increased need to communicate medical images over networks and between machines has pushed the adoption of medical imaging standards such as Digital Imaging and Communication in . This standard only supports sets of 2-D slices and not volume models Starreveld et al (2001). Further processing of the images as described in the following section depend on the ability of the algorithms to adapt to the parameters of various CAT scan machines and format of images that come from other systems.…”