Visual monitoring of tumor areas using endoscopy to measure tumor dimensions is critical for accurate and early diagnosis. To contribute to the accuracy of diagnosis Physical Optics Corporation (POC) successfully developed and demonstrated during Phase I of this project the feasibility of an autostereo fiberscope (ASF) for real-time 3-D monitoring of critical areas inside the body without the need for open surgery. The ASF device combines POCs autostereoscopic 3-D display technology with medically accepted silica-based imaging fibers for ultrathin fiberscopes. The resulting low-cost device presents fully developed, unmatched 3-D imagery. The core component of this system is POC's holographic 3-D display screen, which looks like a regular screen and needs no bothersome devices (e.g., polarization spectacles) which would detract from the 3-D effect. Our Phase I results show that POC's 3-D visualization can be full color, high contrast, and comfortable to view. Equally important, POC's ASF is low in cost and compatible with existing video endoscopic technology. The Phase II evaluation of the proposed 3-D imaging device involves a number of tests with respect to system requirements -- image quality, ease of use, perceptual mastery and ultimate usefulness of the system.
Instant 3-D endoscopic visualization of tumors or organs through body channels is highly important for diagnosis and therapy. Minimally invasive surgical procedures, such as laparoscopy, are becoming extremely popular in general surgery. Stereo viewing greatly reduces the potential for surgical errors, making such procedures much safer. The proposed 3-D display technology can also be used in tele- endoscopy, virtual reality, high resolution imaging, microneurosurgery, and microscopy.
