Voxel-Based Route-Search Algorithm for Tumor Navigation and Blood Vessel Avoidance

In this study, we propose an algorithm that determines a simple-shaped surgical path from the liver surface to its malignant tumor in 3D voxel space. The method has a good affinity with DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine standards) captured by MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) or CT (computed tomography). It also accounts for voxel density, which reflects the probability of the existence of blood vessels along the cutting path. The algorithm selects a path that avoids high-density voxels and the entangled blood vessels that spawn them.