Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.v.

Cornelis Pieter Visser

Hubrecht Lambertus Tjalling De Bliek

Steven Lobregt

Paul Antoon Cyriel Desmedt

Paul A C Desmedt

Hurecht L T De Bliek

Hubrecht L T De Bliek

The invention relates to a system () for rendering an image based on a volumetric image data set, the system comprising: a computation unit () for computing an initial pixel intensity of a pixel of the image, defined by a corresponding voxel intensity of a corresponding voxel comprised in the volumetric image data set; and an adjustment unit () for computing a final pixel intensity of the pixel, based on the initial pixel intensity and on a location of the corresponding voxel. Thus, the system of the invention enables new visualizations of volumetric image data sets. Advantageously, unlike a system using the VIP technique, which requires adjusting intensities of voxels comprised in the image data set, the system of the current invention is arranged to adjust intensities of pixels. This reduces the computational complexity of the rendering technique employed by the system relative to the computational complexity of the VIP technique.

Combined intensity projection

Movies of volume rendered medical images, that give an impression of the anatomy, become more and more important, because this type of visualization comes close to reality. However it is time consuming to compose these movies, if another path than geometrical primitives (like a circle) is preferred. Besides this it is virtually impossible to reproduce comparable complex, manually composed, fly-paths. The proposed apparatus focuses on volume rendered movies of whole heart MR scans. It solves the problems mentioned above, by automatically deriving a fly-path from the segmentation data of the coronary arteries. A method, computer-readable medium and use are also provided.

Automatic movie fly-path calculation

A method of visualization of a multi-dimensional dataset of data-elements involves a rendering process in which a display-value and an opacity value are assigned to individual data-elements. One or several control sets are defined comprising respective datavalues, display-values and opacity values related according to the transfer function and for individual control set(s) the opacity value is adjustable independently of the opacity values of other control set(s). The individually and independently adjustable control sets enable the user to adjust the transfer function in a very intuitive way.

Visualization of a rendered multi-dimensional dataset

A method for creating a preset map for the visualization of an image dataset is provided. The method comprises dynamically adapting the preset map based on image dataset properties resulting in an adapted preset map. The method may be used for identifying the gray value similarity between the volume that the preset was created for and the volume to which the preset is supplied. This similarity measure is used to adapt the preset. As a result comparable 3D images, including structure and color, are created. An apparatus and a computer-readable medium are also provided.

Method, apparatus and computer-readable medium for creating a preset map for the visualization of an image dataset

Movies of volume rendered medical images that give an impression of the anatomy, become more and more important, because this type of visualization comes close to reality. An apparatus for creating a fly-path movie of a volume rendered medical image dataset is provided. The apparatus is configured to perform segmentation of an object, such as the coronary arteries, in the medical image dataset, such that key images on the fly-path may be defined with different classification and opacity. By fading from one to the other the coronaries are visualized one by one in an optimal way. A method, computer-readable medium and use are also provided.

Enhanced coronary viewing

An image of a multi-dimensional volume from a multi-dimensional object data set is displayed on a monitor, a target point and a surface are identified, a target centric projection is then created by projecting information from the target point onto the identified surface. Critical volumes are identified within the multi-dimensional volume and information from these is projected onto the identified surface. Points are selected on the surface and a rectilinear pathway calculated between the selected points and the target point. Distance information between the target point and the identified surface is calculated for selected points. Distance information is projected onto the identified surface. The critical volumes are enlarged prior to projection. The projection may be produced around a selected point on the surface and displayed together with the multi-dimensional volume.

Method of producing and displaying an image of a 3 dimensional volume

A method of relating medical data image viewing planes to each other is provided. The method comprises defining at least two non-orthogonal two-dimensional (2D) image viewing planes in at least one three-dimensional (3D) medical image data set, and linking said 2D image viewing planes with a fixed relation to each other, such that when a first of said 2D image viewing planes is altered, the remaining 2D image viewing planes are automatically changed by said fixed relation with reference to said first 2D image viewing plane.

Growing community of inventors

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Cornelis Pieter Visser