US Patent 9129422 Combined surface reconstruction and registration for laparoscopic surgery

A computer-implemented method of performing a combined surface reconstruction and registration of stereo laparoscopic images includes a computer system generating an intraoperative three-dimensional model of an anatomical area of interest and receiving a plurality of stereo endoscopic images of the anatomical area of interest from a laparoscope. The computer system performs a first stereo reconstruction process using the stereo endoscopic images to yield a first surface image corresponding to the anatomical area of interest and aligns the first surface image with a surface of the intraoperative three-dimensional model using a rigid registration process. Then, the computer system performs a second stereo reconstruction process using the first surface image and prior knowledge from a pre-operative three dimensional model to yield a second surface image corresponding to the anatomical area of interest and aligns the second surface image with the surface of the intraoperative three-dimensional model using a non-rigid registration process.