A novel 3D surface construction approach: Application to three-dimensional endoscopic data

Video-endoscopy is the standard clinical procedure for visual exploration of internal walls of hollow organs. For the bladder, the lesion diagnosis is complex because the endoscopic images are bi-dimensional and cover only small bladder areas. 3D endoscopes, based on stereoscopic active vision principles, were recently proposed and validated. This paper presents a 3D reconstruction algorithm using 2D texture images and a few 3D points located on the internal wall surfaces provided by such endoscopes. The algorithm constructs a 3D panoramic surface using the 3D reconstruction method guided by 2D image registration. We show on realistic bladder phantoms that the algorithm is able to reconstruct 3D points and surfaces with a sub-millimetre accuracy.