A new system that would use an ultrathin laser endoscope with software to stitch together images from the scope’s path to create a full, 3-D panorama of a bladder’s interior has been proposed by researchers at the University of Washington.

The user interface projects the reconstructed organ onto a spherical ball or onto a flat map. The resulting mosaic matches the images to a single pixel of accuracy. Ultimately, the digital display would incorporate all the original frames, so a doctor could zoom in on an area of interest and observe from all angles at the highest resolution.

The software checks that no part of the organ was missed. A nurse or technician could administer the procedure using a small scope that doesn’t require anesthesia.

Bladder cancer is the fourth-most-common cancer in men and one of the most expensive cancers to treat from diagnosis to death.

Their research is being presented May 16 in Washington, D.C. at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association.