Realtime reconstruction, decision-making and control of MIS instruments

Catheter-based approaches to navigate in a minimally invasive fashion through the vasculature are on the rise. Compared to open or minimally invasive surgical approaches, the vascular interventional route is less demanding for the patient. Persons that are somewhat weaker and may be considered unfit for surgery due to too high peri-operative risks may now be considered for treatment. However, the benefits for patients are counterbalanced, as for the physician this type of procedure is more complex and characterized by a steep learning curve. Poor visualisation and limited understanding of the intra-operative scene lie at the root of this complexity. The purpose of this PhD project consists of the development of algorithms to process data of recent and novel embedded sensors to allow real-time map-building and reconstruction as a base for supporting autonomous catheter navigation. The focus of this PhD is on vascular surgery, but applications in related surgical fields may be considered as well. Contributions are expected in image processing, environment estimation, planning and control.