Letters To The Editor
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World J Gastrointest Endosc. Sep 16, 2013; 5(9): 465-467
Published online Sep 16, 2013. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v5.i9.465
Use of enhancement algorithm to suppress reflections in 3-D reconstructed capsule endoscopy images
Anastasios Koulaouzidis, Alexandros Karargyris
Anastasios Koulaouzidis, Endoscopy Unit, Centre for Liver and Digestive Disorders, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Scotland, EH16 4SA, United Kingdom
Alexandros Karargyris, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, United States
Author contributions: Koulaouzidis A and Karargyris A conceived and drafted the study, collected data, prepared and edited the final version of this manuscript.
Supported by Grant from Given®Imaging Ltd., Germany (Given®Imaging-ESGE Research Grant 2011); Koulaouzidis A has also received lecture honoraria from Dr. FalkPharma, United Kingdom
Correspondence to: Anastasios Koulaouzidis, MD, FEBG, FRSPH, FRCP (Edin), Endoscopy Unit, Centre for Liver and Digestive Disorders, the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Old Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh, EH16 4SA, United Kingdom. akoulaouzidis@hotmail.com
Telephone: +44-131-2421126 Fax: +44-131-2421618
Received: May 13, 2013
Revised: June 19, 2013
Accepted: July 30, 2013
Published online: September 16, 2013
Processing time: 124 Days and 17.4 Hours
Abstract

In capsule endoscopy (CE), there is research to develop hardware that enables ‘‘real’’ three-dimensional (3-D) video. However, it should not be forgotten that ‘‘true’’ 3-D requires dual video images. Inclusion of two cameras within the shell of a capsule endoscope though might be unwieldy at present. Therefore, in an attempt to approximate a 3-D reconstruction of the digestive tract surface, a software that recovers information-using gradual variation of shading-from monocular two-dimensional CE images has been proposed. Light reflections on the surface of the digestive tract are still a significant problem. Therefore, a phantom model and simulator has been constructed in an attempt to check the validity of a highlight suppression algorithm. Our results confirm that 3-D representation software performs better with simultaneous application of a highlight reduction algorithm. Furthermore, 3-D representation follows a good approximation of the real distance to the lumen surface.

Keywords: Capsule endoscopy; Three-dimensional reconstruction; Phantom; Experiment; PillCam; Software; Accuracy

Core tip: In an attempt to approximate a three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction of the digestive tract surface, a software that recovers information-using gradual variation of shading - from monocular two-dimensional capsule endoscopy images has been proposed. Light reflections on the surface of the digestive tract are still a significant problem. Therefore, a phantom model and simulator has been constructed in an attempt to check the validity of a highlight suppression algorithm. Our results confirm that 3-D representation software performs better with simultaneous application of a highlight reduction algorithm. Furthermore, 3-D representation follows a good approximation of the real distance to the lumen surface.