Configurable depth-of-field raycaster for medical imaging

1. A method comprising:

using a processor projecting for a pixel of a 2D image placed in a view plane a ray of sight from the view plane through a volume determined by a plurality of voxels of a volumetric dataset indicative of an object, the view plane having a predetermined distance and orientation to the volume;

using the processor determining a plurality of sampling points along the ray of sight such that a distance between consecutive sampling points is larger at a larger distance to the view plane, wherein the distance between consecutive sampling points increases incrementally with each set of consecutive sampling points along the path of the ray of sight;

using the processor determining for at least a portion of the plurality of sampling points a color value and a transparency value in dependence upon voxels in proximity of the respective sampling point and in dependence upon a lighting calculation; and,

using the processor determining for the ray of sight a final color value by compositing along the ray the color values and the transparency values, the final color value of the ray contributing to a pixel value of the 2D image, the 2D image being indicative of the object.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein one ray of sight is projected for each pixel of the 2D image and wherein the final color value of the ray of sight corresponds to a respective pixel value.

3. A method comprising:

using a processor projecting for a pixel of a 2D image placed in a view plane a ray of sight from the view plane through a volume determined by a plurality of voxels of a volumetric dataset indicative of an object, the view plane having a predetermined distance and orientation to the volume;

using the processor determining a plurality of sampling points along the ray of sight such that a distance between consecutive sampling points is larger at a larger distance to the view plane, wherein the distance between consecutive sampling points increases incrementally with each set of consecutive sampling points along the path of the ray of sight;

using the processor determining for at least a portion of the plurality of sampling points a color value and a transparency value in dependence upon voxels in proximity of the respective sampling point and a lighting calculation; and,

using the processor determining for the ray of sight a final color value by compositing along the ray the color values and the transparency values, the final color value of the ray contributing to a pixel value of the 2D image, the 2D image being indicative of the object, wherein the compositing is stopped when the composited transparency value is within a predetermined range less than a value indicative of opacity.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein one ray of sight is projected for each pixel of the 2D image and wherein the final color value of the ray of sight corresponds to a respective pixel value.

5. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein the color and the transparency value of a sampling point are composited with the color and transparency value of a previous sampling point before determining the color and transparency value of a following sampling point.

6. A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein executable commands for execution on a processor of a computer system, the processor when executing the commands performing:

projecting for a pixel of a 2D image placed in a view plane a ray of sight from the view plane through a volume determined by a plurality of voxels of a volumetric dataset indicative of an object, the view plane having a predetermined distance and orientation to the volume;

determining a plurality of sampling points along the ray of sight such that a distance between consecutive sampling points is larger at a larger distance to the view plane, wherein the distance between consecutive sampling points increases incrementally with each set of consecutive sampling points along the path of the ray of sight;

determining for at least a portion of the plurality of sampling points a color value and a transparency value in dependence upon voxels in proximity of the respective sampling point and

in dependence upon a lighting calculation; and,

determining for the ray of sight a final color value by compositing along the ray the color values and the transparency values, the final color value of the ray contributing to a pixel value of the 2D image, the 2D image being indicative of the object.

7. A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein executable commands for execution on a processor of a computer system, the processor when executing the commands performing:

projecting for a pixel of a 2D image placed in a view plane a ray of sight from the view plane through a volume determined by a plurality of voxels of a volumetric dataset indicative of an object, the view plane having a predetermined distance and orientation to the volume;

determining a plurality of sampling points along the ray of sight such that a distance between consecutive sampling points is larger at a larger distance to the view plane, wherein the distance between consecutive sampling points increases incrementally with each set of consecutive sampling ponts along the path of the ray of sight;

determining for at least a portion of the plurality of sampling points a color value and a transparency value in dependence upon voxels in proximity of the respective sampling point and a lighting calculation; and,

determining for the ray of sight a final color value by compositing along the ray the color values and the transparency values, the final color value of the ray contributing to a pixel value of the 2D image, the 2D image being indicative of the object, wherein the compositing is stopped when the composited transparency value is within a predetermined range less than a value indicative of opacity.