A new stereoscopic endoscopy system: accurate 3-dimensional measurement in vitro and in vivo with distortion-correction function.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of measurements obtained with a new 3-dimensional stereoscopic endoscopy system in vitro and in vivo.


METHODS
The system includes an electronic stereoscopic endoscope and a personal computer. After correction of barrel distortion by an image-processing technique, 3-dimensional data are computed with triangulation. Initially, graph paper and models of gastric lesions, both elevated and depressed, were used as objects. For evaluating accuracy and reproducibility, the absolute error (/E/) and the coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated: /E/ = average value of absolute value (measured value minus sign true value)/true value. Then, the sizes of 50 gastric lesions were measured by 2 endoscopists, one experienced and the other inexperienced, and the findings were compared with measurements made radiographically.


RESULTS
The maximum for /E/ and for the CV for the distance on the graph paper were, respectively, 5.6% and 7.0%. The /E/ and CV for the diameter and for the height of the elevated model were, respectively, 5.9% and 5.7% for the former and, respectively, 16.8% and 16.5% for the latter. The /E/ and CV for the area of the depressed model were, respectively, 9.0% and 1.6%. The correlation coefficients between the sizes of lesions measured by stereoscopic endoscopy and radiographically were 0.91: 99% CI [0.81, 1.00], and 0.98: 99% CI [0.85, 1.00], respectively, for the experienced and inexperienced endoscopists.


CONCLUSIONS
The new stereoscopic endoscopy system is useful for measuring gastric lesion size in clinical practice.
Yao
Kenshi
K
Department of Gastroenterology, Fukuoka University, Chikushi Hospital, 377-1 Onaza Zokumyoin, Chikushino-city, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan 818-8502.
Matsui
Toshiyuki
T
Furukawa
Hisashi
H
Yao
Tsuneyoshi
T
Sakurai
Toshihiro
T
Mitsuyasu
Tomoko
T
D002138:Calibration; D019723:Endoscopes; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000295:instrumentation; D008954:Models, Biological; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis