Colon Visualization Using Shape Preserving Flattening

Virtual colonoscopy is a well-known screening modality for colon cancer, and virtual colon flattening techniques have been proposed to map the 3D surface to the 2D domain. Performing this flattening with conformal geometry allows for the local shapes to be preserved. We explore here how these shape preserving flattened maps can be used for visualization of the colon and to enhance the VC environment. Our discussion focuses on two types of use of the flattened colon, using the flattened mesh alone and using it with integration into the 3D endoluminal view. For the mesh alone, flattened views can be generated using volume rendering to attain the same image quality present in a typical view. When integrated with the 3D endoluminal view, the flattened mesh can be used to assist in navigation through a colon, or in acquiring corresponding view points in two scans if there is a one-to-one and onto mapping between two flattened meshes.