A robust method to track colonoscopy videos with non-informative images

PurposeContinuously, optical and virtual image alignment can significantly supplement the clinical value of colonoscopy. However, the co-alignment process is frequently interrupted by non-informative images. A video tracking framework to continuously track optical colonoscopy images was developed and tested.MethodsA video tracking framework with immunity to non-informative images was developed with three essential components: temporal volume flow, region flow, and incremental egomotion estimation. Temporal volume flow selects two similar images interrupted by non-informative images; region flow measures large visual motion between selected images; and incremental egomotion processing estimates significant camera motion by decomposing each large visual motion vector into a sequence of small optical flow vectors. The framework was extensively evaluated via phantom and colonoscopy image sequences. We constructed two colon-like phantoms, a straight phantom and a curved phantom, to measure actual colonoscopy motion.ResultsIn the straight phantom, after 48 frames were excluded, the tracking error was $$<$$3 mm of 16 mm traveled. In the curved phantom, the error was $$<$$4 mm of 23.88 mm traveled after 72 frames were excluded. Through evaluations with clinical sequences, the robustness of the tracking framework was demonstrated on 30 colonoscopy image sequences from 22 different patients. Four specific sequences among these were chosen to illustrate the algorithm’s decreased sensitivity to (1) fluid immersion, (2) wall contact, (3) surgery-induced colon deformation, and (4) multiple non-informative image sequences.ConclusionA robust tracking framework for real-time colonoscopy was developed that facilitates continuous alignment of optical and virtual images, immune to non-informative images that enter the video stream. The system was validated in phantom testing and achieved success with clinical image sequences.