Intraoperative Image Processing for Surgical Guidance

I N October 1998, the first special issue of IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MEDICAL IMAGING (TMI) was published with a focus on “Image guidance of therapy” to reflect the multidisciplinary character of TMI, encompassing design, development, and application [9]. The focus of this special issue is also image guidance, specifically intraoperative image processing for surgical guidance. Comparing the papers in this current issue with those in the 1998 issue shows how technology has advanced and reveals the lasting impact of some of the methods presented in the 1998 issue. The current issue shows, in particular, the improved application of complex models of anatomy, physiology, and motion to image-guided interventions.