Automatic analysis in virtual endoscopy
A computer system and a computer-implemented method are provided for interactively displaying a three-dimensional rendering of a structure having a lumen and for indicating regions of abnormal wall structure. A three-dimensional volume of data is formed from a series of two-dimensional images representing at least one physical property associated with the three-dimensional structure. An isosurface of a selected region of interest is created by a computer from the volume of data based on a selected value or values of a physical property representing the selected region of interest. A wireframe model of the isosurface is generated by the computer wherein the wireframe model includes a plurality of vertices. The vertices are then grouped into populations of contiguous vertices having a characteristic indicating abnormal wall structure by the computer. The wireframe model is then rendered by the computer in an interactive three-dimensional display to indicate the populations of abnormal wall structure.
1. A method for interactively displaying three dimensional structures comprising the steps of:
providing a three-dimensional volume of data representing at least one physical property associated with a three dimensional body;
isolating a selected region of interest from the volume of data based on selected values of the physical property representing the selected region of interest;
rendering the isolated region of interest as a surface rendered image in an interactive three-dimensional display; and
displaying a volume-rendered image adjoining the surface-rendered image in an interactive three-dimensional display.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 including displaying at least one planar image through the surface-rendered image of the interactive three-dimensional display.
3. A method for interactively displaying three dimensional structures comprising the steps of:
providing a three-dimensional volume of data representing at least one physical property associated with a three dimensional body;
isolating a selected region of interest from the volume of data based on selected values of the physical property representing the selected region of interest;
determining an arbitrarily oriented cross-sectional area of the selected region of interest; and
rendering the arbitrarily oriented cross-sectional area of the isolated region of interest in an interactive three-dimensional display.
4. An apparatus for automatic analysis in virtual endoscopy for interactively displaying a three-dimensional rendering of an anatomical structure having a lumen, the apparatus comprising:
a computer-controlled device to acquire images of selected body organs, and
a renderer to produce three-dimensional renderings of images of the anatomical structures, the renderer adapted to incorporate a surface rendering of an organ into a volume rendering of the surrounding anatomy using texture memory to achieve a combined surface/volume rendering,
wherein the three-dimensional renderings are interactive to enable the display of movement about the rendered anatomical structure.
5. An apparatus for automatic analysis in virtual endoscopy for interactively displaying a three-dimensional rendering of an anatomical structure, the apparatus comprising:
a computer-controlled device to acquire images of selected body organs, and
a renderer to produce three-dimensional renderings of anatomical structures of the images, the renderer adapted to incorporate a surface rendering of an organ into a volume rendering of the surrounding anatomy using texture memory to achieve a hybrid rendering effect,
wherein the surface rendered organ may be highlighted in the context of the volume-rendered surrounding anatomy, and wherein the three-dimensional renderings are interactive to enable the display of movement about the rendered anatomical structure.
6. An apparatus for automatic analysis in virtual endoscopy for interactively displaying a three-dimensional rendering of an anatomical structure, the apparatus comprising:
a computer-controlled device to acquire images of selected body organs, and
a renderer to produce in a display window multiplanar views of anatomical structures of the images which include at least one of orthogonal and oblique views that are presented simultaneously with a surface-rendered organ and surrounding volume-rendered anatomy.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the renderer produces a simultaneous display of multiplanar views centered on a point that changes in response to user selected movement within the rendered anatomical structure.
8. A method for interactively displaying three dimensional structures comprising the steps of:
providing a three-dimensional volume of data representing at least one physical property associated with a three dimensional body;
isolating a selected region of interest from the volume of data based on selected values of the physical property representing the selected region of interest;
generating a wireframe model of a selected surface of the isolated region of interest, the wireframe model comprising a plurality of polygons and a plurality of vertices associated with the polygons; and
rendering the wireframe model in an interactive three-dimensional display.
9. The method according to claim 8 comprising the step of determining a connectivity matrix to provide information regarding the connectivity between the vertices of the wireframe model.
10. The method according to claim 8 comprising the step of re-ordering the polygons into a sequence corresponding to the order in which the polygons would be encountered while traversing the wireframe model along a selected direction.
11. The method according to claim 8 comprising the step of calculating the wall thickness at a vertex on the wireframe model from the volume data of the isolated region of interest.
12. The method according to claim 8 comprising the step of determining a local curvature at a selected vertex by summing the scalar distance between each of a selected number of levels of adjacent vertices and the plane perpendicular to the normal of the selected vertex.