CS Colloquium: The Joys of Experimental System Building:
Giving the Physician Superman's X-ray Vision

Henry Fuchs
Computer Science Department
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Stanford Computer Science Departmental Colloquium
Tuesday, February 4, 4:15pm
Room B01 (HP auditorium)

Abstract:
In this talk, I will describe a system that enables a physician during surgical procedures to view real-time patient image data registered within the patient. This capability is achieved by combining within the physician's head-mounted display, synthetic computer-graphics reconstructions with the physician's views of the patient. The synthetic imagery is constructed currently from real-time ultrasound echographic images from a hand-held transducer moved across the patient's skin. In order to achieve this more natural visualization, challenging technological problems of real-time tracking, image generation and image presentation need to be solved. The system has recently been used to visualize cysts and solid lesions in patients undergoing needle biopsies of the breast. We hope such a system will both assist physicians with difficult procedures and also suggest more effective solutions in a variety of other applications in architecture, navigation, and spatial design. In the long run, an effective 3D visualization within the user's own space may lead to a richer, more natural computer interface than today's 2D desktop metaphor.

MEETINGS WITH FACULTY AND STUDENTS:
Prof. Fuchs will be our guest at faculty lunch on February 4. He will also be available to meet with faculty or students, individually or in groups, from 1:30 until 3:30. He is particularly interested in meeting with undergraduates who are interested in pursuing advanced degrees in computer science with a specialization in computer graphics. Interested parties should email their requests to Joyce Chandler (chandler@cs), who will be arranging his schedule.
Student reception: Refreshments will be served 3:45-4:15 in the basement elevator lobby.