Currently, colonoscopy and barium enema are the only means available for the detection of polyps or carcinoma of the colon. Colonoscopy requires sedation and approximately 40 to 60 minutes to perform. The cost of a colonoscopy is high and there is a small risk of perforation associated with the procedure. Frequently, due to technical difficulties or patient discomfort, the proximal colon cannot be fully evaluated.
Barium enemas are less expensive but require a great deal of physical cooperation from the patient.
The authors of the primary paper 3D Virtual Colonoscopy present an alternative method to the existing procedures of imaging the mucosal surface of the colon. The set of images is reconstructed into a 3D volume and visualized with the VolVis volume visualization system. Images and interactive flythroughs along with off-line animations inside the colon are generated as if the viewer's eyes were freely mobile inside the colonic lumen. The primary paper describes two experiments. The first experiment used two plastic pipe simulations generated at the University Medical Center of SUNY Stony Brook .