A method for registration of virtual endoscopy images in first and second
patient positions comprises performing colon segmentation and feature
extraction, including centerline and colon surface data for each of the
images; resampling the centerline and colon surface data; computing
respective local descriptors; pairing point correspondences on the
centerlines between the first and second images by minimal cost matching;
extrapolating the centerline point correspondences to a
3-dimensional/3-dimensional (3D/3D) transformation between the first and
second images. The method also includes selecting a position for a
virtual endoscope in one of the images; associating an orthogonal
reference frame with the virtual endoscope; and applying the 3D/3D
transformation to the orthogonal reference frame so as to derive a
corresponding transformed reference frame for the virtual endoscope in
the other of the images.