Object-order multi-planar reformatting

1. A method for object-order reformatting of a volume comprising a plurality of slices, the method comprising:

transforming coordinates of an oblique surface through the volume from image-order to object-order;

traversing the slices in accordance with the object-order of the transformed coordinates; and

interpolating voxel values of a pair of adjacent slices to render pixel values for an image of the oblique surface.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

visualizing at least one of the plurality of interpolated pixels in the order in which it was rendered.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of slices corresponds to a medical image.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the oblique surface is a planar oblique plane.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the oblique surface is a curved oblique plane.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein transforming coordinates comprises sorting the coordinates from image-order to object-order.

7. A system ( 100 ) for object-order reformatting of a volume comprising a plurality of slices, the system comprising:

a coordinate transformation unit ( 170 ) for transforming coordinates of an oblique surface through the volume from image-order to object-order;

an object-order slice traversal unit ( 180 ) for traversing the slices in accordance with the object-order of the transformed coordinates; and

a slice-pair interpolation unit ( 190 ) for interpolating voxel values of a pair of adjacent slices to render pixel values for an image of the oblique surface.

8. A system ( 100 ) as defined in claim 7 wherein the plurality of slices comprise medical images.

9. A system ( 100 ) as defined in claim 7 , further comprising:

a CPU ( 102 ) in signal communication with said object-order slice traversal unit ( 180 ) for processing slices.

10. A system ( 100 ) as defined in claim 9 , further comprising:

a display adapter ( 110 ) in signal communication with the CPU ( 102 ) for displaying the image of the oblique plane; and

an I/O adapter ( 112 ) in signal communication with the CPU ( 102 ) for recalling the locations of the voxels visualized from the image of the oblique plane to provide an indication of the location of a visualized object within the image of the oblique plane.

11. A system ( 100 ) as defined in claim 9 , further comprising:

a user interface adapter ( 114 ) in signal communication with the CPU ( 102 ) for at least receiving a selection decision for at least one image of the oblique plane from a user.

12. A system for object-order reformatting of a volume comprising a plurality of slices, the system comprising:

transforming means for transforming coordinates of an oblique surface through the volume from image-order to object-order;

traversing means for traversing the slices in accordance with the object-order of the transformed coordinates; and

interpolating means for interpolating voxel values of a pair of adjacent slices to render pixel values for an image of the oblique surface.

13. A system as defined in claim 12 , further comprising:

visualization means for visualizing at least one of the plurality of interpolated pixels in the order in which it was rendered.

14. A system as defined in claim 12 wherein the plurality of slices correspond to medical images.

15. A system as defined in claim 12 wherein the oblique surface is a planar oblique plane.

16. A system as defined in claim 12 wherein the oblique surface is a curved oblique plane.

17. A system as defined in claim 12 wherein said transforming means comprises sorting means for sorting the coordinates from image-order to object-order.

18. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for object-order reformatting of a volume comprising a plurality of slices, the method steps comprising:

transforming coordinates of an oblique surface through the volume from image-order to object-order;

traversing the slices in accordance with the object-order of the transformed coordinates; and

interpolating voxel values of a pair of adjacent slices to render pixel values for an image of the oblique surface.

19. A program storage device as defined in claim 18 , the method steps further comprising:

visualizing at least one of the plurality of interpolated pixels in the order in which it was rendered.

20. A program storage device as defined in claim 18 wherein the plurality of slices correspond to medical images.