Immersive Virtual Colonoscopy

Virtual Colonoscopy (VC) is an established noninvasive alternative to optical colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening. Currently, radiologists examine VC data sets on a workstation computer using a single screen and simple navigation tools. The limited field of view increases examination time and introduces tedious interaction modalities. We propose conducting VC examinations inside an immersive visualization environment, such as the fully enclosed Immersive Cabin (IC) or semi-immersive workstation display configurations. The additional projection surfaces, life-size visuals and stereoscopic rendering in the IC provide the radiologist with a more intuitive navigation experience and allow for better utilization of the direct and peripheral vision to pick up visual cues related to the presence of polyps. As a result, the doctor is able to examine more of the colon surface at any given time, reducing total time for the screening and increasing the sensitivity of the screening