Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation

Canon Medical Systems Corporation

Andrew Murray

Magnus Wahrenberg

Robert K Henderson

Jonathan Ephriam David Hurwitz

Stewart Gresty Smith

A medical image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: obtain volumetric data corresponding to a three dimensional region of a subject; perform a sampling process that comprises sampling the volumetric data at a plurality of sampling points along a plurality of sampling paths; for each of a plurality of intervals between sampling points on sampling paths, determine a position of a shading evaluation point in the interval based on intensity values and/or opacity values for a front sampling point and back sampling point of the interval; and determine a value for a shading parameter at the determined shading evaluation point; and perform a rendering process using the determined values for the shading parameter.

Shading method for volumetric imaging

Image rendering apparatus for rendering an image from a set of image data representing a volume, the apparatus comprises a rendering unit configured to perform a sampling process that comprises determining values of opacity for a plurality of sample positions along a specified path through the volume; at least one of a) determining values of color/grayscale for the plurality of sample positions along the specified path, b) determining gradient values for a plurality of gradient positions along the specified path; and determining whether there is a transition to or from a high opacity state, and if there is a transition to or from a high opacity state modifying at least pad of the sampling process, wherein the rendering unit is further configured to process the determined values of opacity, color/grayscale and/or gradient to determine a pixel value for a pixel of the image.

Apparatus for, and method of, rendering image data

Lighting flicker in the output of a video imaging device is detected. The video imaging device has a main picture area divided into pixels for producing successive images at a frame rate. A series of signals are produced from at least one additional picture area adjacent the main picture area, with the additional picture area having a size substantially larger than a pixel. Each of the signals is a function of light incident on the additional picture area in a time period substantially shorter than that of the frame rate. A predetermined number of the signals are accumulated to form a series of compound samples, and the compound samples are filtered to detect components indicating the lighting flicker. The filtering is performed using a bandpass filter tuned to the nominal flicker frequency. The compound samples are formed at a sample rate which is a multiple of the nominal flicker frequency, and the filtering is performed by taking the fundamental output component of a radix-N butterfly.

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Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Andrew Murray