Systems and methods for visualizing elongated structures and detecting branches therein

1. A computer-implemented method for visualizing elongate objects, the method comprising:

acquiring, using a processor, digital data of a portion of an elongate object, the digital data being generated by a medical imaging device imaging a portion of a patient's body;

identifying, using a processor, a centerline connecting a plurality of points within the portion of the elongate object;

defining a selected degree direction associated with a first point of the plurality of points along the centerline;

defining a first vector originating from the first point along the centerline and extending in the selected degree direction;

defining a second vector originating from a second point along the centerline and extending in the selected degree direction;

creating a first half-plane extending between the first vector and the second vector along the centerline;

traversing a predetermined angular distance in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction from the first half-plane to a second half-plane to define an angular wedge;

calculating, using a processor, a view of the angular wedge between the first half-plane and the second half-plane; and

generating an electronic view including the angular wedge.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, repeating the steps of traversing and calculating for one or more additional angular wedges of the portion of the elongate object.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, aligning views of two opposing angular wedges next to each other.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic view includes a circumferential surface or visualization of a tubular structure.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the view of the angular wedge between the first half-plane and the second half-plane comprises:

determining one or more voxels along the first vector and the second vector;

generating maximum intensity projection (MIP) rays in an angular direction around the first half-plane toward a predetermined angular distance for each of the voxels;

for each MIP ray, creating a set of voxels that intersect the ray computed in a predetermined angular increment, and computing a maximum intensity of the set of voxels; and

projecting the computed maximum intensity on the first half-plane.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the view of the angular wedge comprises:

determining one or more voxels along the first vector and the second vector;

generating maximum intensity projection (MIP) rays in an angular direction around the first half-plane for each of the voxels;

for each MIP ray, creating a set of voxels that intersect the ray computed in a predetermined angular increment, and

computing the intensity of a maximum intensity voxel from the set of voxels, and

projecting the computed maximum intensity on the first half-plane.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elongate object comprises tubular branching structures.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of traversing and calculating are repeated for a plurality of angular wedges until a complete circumferential view of the portion of the elongate object is completed.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising assembling views of opposing angular wedges next to each other.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the views of the opposing angular wedges are displayed to resemble a straightened curved planar reformation view.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital image data is generated from computed tomography imaging.

12. A system for visualizing structures, the system comprising:

a data storage device storing instructions for visualizing structures; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including the steps of:

acquiring, using a processor, digital data of a portion of an elongate object, the digital data being generated by a medical imaging device imaging a portion of a patient's body;

identifying, using a processor, a centerline connecting a plurality of points within the portion of the elongate object;

defining a selected degree direction associated with a first point of the plurality of points along the centerline;

defining a first vector originating from the first point along the centerline and extending in the selected degree direction;

defining a second vector originating from a second point along the centerline and extending in the selected degree direction;

creating a first half-plane extending between the first vector and the second vector along the centerline;

traversing a predetermined angular distance in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction from the first half-plane to a second half-plane to define an angular wedge;

calculating, using a processor, a view of the angular wedge between the first half-plane and the second half-plane; and

generating an electronic view including the angular wedge.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising, repeating the steps of traversing and calculating for one or more additional angular wedges of the portion of the elongate object.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising, aligning views of two opposing angular wedges next to each other.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the electronic view includes a circumferential surface or visualization of a tubular structure.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein calculating the view of the angular wedge between the first half-plane and the second half-plane comprises:

determining one or more voxels along the first vector and the second vector;

generating maximum intensity projection (MIP) rays in an angular direction around the first half-plane toward a predetermined angular distance for each of the voxels;

for each MIP ray, creating a set of voxels that intersect the ray computed in a predetermined angular increment, and computing a maximum intensity of the set of voxels; and

projecting the computed maximum intensity on the first half-plane.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein calculating the view of the angular wedge comprises:

determining one or more voxels along the first vector and the second vector;

generating maximum intensity projection (MIP) rays in an angular direction around the first half-plane for each of the voxels;

for each MIP ray, creating a set of voxels that intersect the ray computed in a predetermined angular increment, and

computing the intensity of a maximum intensity voxel from the set of voxels, and

projecting the computed maximum intensity on the first half-plane.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the calculating step is performed by a graphics processing unit.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the elongate object comprises tubular branching structures.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use on at least a computer system containing computer-executable programming instructions for visualizing structures, the instructions being executable by the computer system for:

acquiring, using a processor, digital data of a portion of an elongate object, the digital data being generated by a medical imaging device imaging a portion of a patient's body;

identifying, using a processor, a centerline connecting a plurality of points within the portion of the elongate object;

defining a selected degree direction associated with a first point of the plurality of points along the centerline;

defining a first vector originating from the first point along the centerline and extending in the selected degree direction;

defining a second vector originating from a second point along the centerline and extending in the selected degree direction;

creating a first half-plane extending between the first vector and the second vector along the centerline;

traversing a predetermined angular distance in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction from the first half-plane to a second half-plane to define an angular wedge;

calculating, using a processor, a view of the angular wedge between the first half-plane and the second half-plane; and

generating an electronic view including the angular wedge.