Model Completion via Deformation Cloning Based on an Explicit Global Deformation Model

Our main focus is the registration and visualization of a pre-built 3D model from preoperative images to the camera view of a minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Accurate estimation of soft-tissue deformations is key to the success of such a registration. This paper proposes an explicit statistical model to represent global non-rigid deformations. The deformation model built from a reference object is cloned to a target object to guide the registration of the pre-built model, which completes the deformed target object when only a part of the object is naturally visible in the camera view. The registered target model is then used to estimate deformations of its substructures. Our method requires a small number of landmarks to be reconstructed from the camera view. The registration is driven by a small set of parameters, making it suitable for real-time visualization.