Visualization imaging system for curvilinear structures
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a method of analyzing curvilinear structures by receiving three-dimensional space imaging data of a curvilinear structure, defining an axis curve within the curvilinear structure, sweeping a line segment along said axis curve so as to define a ribbon in said three-dimensional space, and adsorbing data from said three-dimensional space onto said ribbon. This ribbon may then be flattened for convenient examination.
1. A method of analyzing curvilinear structures, comprising:
receiving three-dimensional space imaging data of a curvilinear structure;
defining an axis curve within the curvilinear structure;
sweeping a line segment along said axis curve so as to define a ribbon in said three-dimensional space; and
adsorbing data from said three-dimensional space onto said ribbon
wherein said axis curve is defined as a function C(t) of a parameter t, said parameter representing the distance along said axis,
wherein said ribbon is defined as a function S(s,t) based upon a frame F=(f 1 (t), f 2 (t), f 3 (t)) wherein f 1 , f 2 , and f 3 are unit-vector-valued functions in three-space and s is a parameter defining a position along said line segment, said line segment orthogonal to a tangent to said axis, such that S(s,t)=f 2 (t)*s+C(t).
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising flattening said ribbon into a two-dimensional strip.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising flattening said ribbon into a two-dimensional strip.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said flattening is accomplished by defining a two-dimensional image for which one axis is said s parameter and the remaining axis is said t parameter.
5. A program storage device, readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for analyzing curvilinear structures, said method steps comprising:
receiving three-dimensional space imaging data of a curvilinear structure;
defining an axis curve within the curvilinear structure;
sweeping a line segment along said axis curve so as to define a ribbon in said three-dimensional space; and
adsorbing data from said three-dimensional space onto said ribbon
wherein said axis curve is defined as a function C(t) of a parameter t, said parameter representing the distance along said axis,
wherein said ribbon is defined as a function S(s,t) based upon a frame F=(f 1 (t), f 2 (t), f 3 (t)) wherein f 1 , f 2 , and f 3 are unit-vector-valued functions in three-space and s is a parameter defining a position along said line segment, said line segment orthogonal to a tangent to said axis, such that S(s,t)=f 2 (t)*s+C(t).
6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising flattening said ribbon into a two-dimensional strip.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising flattening said ribbon into a two-dimensional strip.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said flattening is accomplished by defining a two-dimensional image for which one axis is said s parameter and the remaining axis is said t parameter.
9. An imaging system for analyzing curvilinear structures, comprising:
means for receiving three-dimensional space imaging data of a curvilinear structure;
means for defining an axis curve within said curvilinear structure;
means for sweeping a line segment along said axis curve so as to define a ribbon in said three-dimensional space; and
means for adsorbing data from said three-dimensional space onto said ribbon,
wherein said axis curve is defined as a function C(t) of a parameter t, said parameter representing the distance along said axis,
wherein said ribbon is defined as a function S(s,t) based upon a frame F=(f 1 (t), f 2 (t), f 3 (t)) wherein f 1 , f 2 , and f 3 are unit-vector-valued functions in three-space and s is a parameter defining a position along said line segment, said line segment orthogonal to a tangent to said axis, such that S(s,t)=f 2 (t)*s+C(t).
10. The imaging system of claim 9 further comprising means for flattening said ribbon into a two-dimensional strip.