A central problem in cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) surgery is to restore
the normal anatomy of the skeleton after defects, e.g., malformations,
tumours, and trauma to the face. With careful pre-operative planning
the precision and predictability can be significantly improved of the
craniofacial reconstruction. In addition, morbidity can be reduced
thanks to reduced time in the operating room. An important component
in surgery planning is to be able to accurately measure the extent of
anatomical structures. Of particular interest here are the shape and
volume of the orbits (eye sockets). These properties can be measured
in 3D CT images of the skull, but requires that the orbits can be
extracted from the rest of the image, a process called image
segmentation. At the Centre for Image Analysis, Uppsala University,
one of our projects involves developing an interactive system for
segmenting the orbit. When interacting with the 3D objects, the sense
of touch has proven an essential complement to our visual perception.
In fact, haptic input devices create new possibilities to design
interfaces where the user can simultaneously explore and manipulate 3D
data in an intuitive way. In this talk, I will present some of the
haptic-enabled tools for image analysis, segmentation, and
visualization that we have developed.
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