Visualization of anatomical labels

1. A system for visualization, comprising:

a non-transitory memory device for storing computer readable program code;

a processor in communication with the memory device, the processor being operative with the computer readable program code to perform steps including:

receiving a three-dimensional image,

localizing at least one structure of interest in the image by determining at least one bounding box,

identifying a view type of a visualization plane through the image as axial-dominated, coronal-dominated or sagittal-dominated,

determining an area of an intersection region where the bounding box intersects with the visualization plane by calculating intersection points between each edge of the bounding box and the visualization plane and sorting the intersection points to form a convex hull that represents the intersection region,

in response to the area of the intersection region being greater than a predetermined threshold value, determining a position of an anatomical label using a positioning technique selected according to the view type of the visualization plane, wherein the position of the anatomical label is outside the structure of interest, and

displaying the anatomical label at the determined position in the visualization plane.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is operative with the computer readable program code to localize the structure of interest by determining a structure bounding box enclosing the structure of interest.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is operative with the computer readable program code to localize the structure of interest by determining the bounding box enclosing a transition zone between neighboring structures of interest.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is operative with the computer readable program code to determine the position of the anatomical label based on a center point and extents of the bounding box in response to the view type being determined as coronal-dominated or sagittal-dominated.

5. A method of visualization, comprising:

receiving, by a processor device, a three-dimensional image;

localizing, by the processor device, one or more structures of interest in the image by determining one or more bounding boxes;

identifying, by the processor device, a view type of a visualization plane through the image;

determining, by the processor device, a position of an anatomical label using a positioning technique selected according to the view type of the visualization plane, wherein the position of the anatomical label is outside the one or more structures of interest, wherein the position is determined based on a center point and extents of at least one of the one or more bounding boxes in response to the view type being determined as coronal-dominated or sagittal-dominated; and

displaying, via a display device, the anatomical label at the determined position in the visualization plane.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein localizing the one or more structures of interest comprises localizing one or more vertebral bodies in the image.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the one or more bounding boxes comprises determining a structure bounding box enclosing at least one of the one or more structures of interest.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the one or more bounding boxes comprises determining a transition bounding box enclosing a transition zone between the structures of interest neighboring each other.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the one or more bounding boxes comprises determining an individual local patient frame for each of the one or more bounding boxes.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein identifying the view type of the visualization plane comprises identifying the view types as axial-dominated, coronal-dominated or sagittal-dominated.

11. The method of claim 5 further comprises determining an area of an intersection region where at least one of the one or more bounding boxes intersects with the visualization plane.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprises determining the intersection region by calculating intersection points between each edge of the bounding box and the visualization plane and sorting the intersection points to form a convex hull that represents the intersection region.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the position of the anatomical label is performed in response to the area of the intersection region being greater than a predetermined threshold value.

14. The method of claim 5 further comprises automatically updating the positioning technique in response to rotation of the visualization plane to a different view type.

15. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the position of the anatomical label comprises determining the position that is located at a patient's anterior side of a corresponding structure of interest in response to the view type being determined as sagittal-dominated.

16. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the position of the anatomical label comprises determining the position that is located at a patient's right side of a corresponding structure of interest in response to the view type being determined as coronal-dominated.

17. The method of claim 5 wherein determining the position of the anatomical label comprises determining the position of a single anatomical label in response to the view type being determined as axial-dominated.

18. The method of claim 5 further comprises determining a font size of the label, wherein the font size is proportional to a resolution of the visualization plane.

19. The method of claim 5 further comprises determining a distance of the label from a corresponding structure of interest, wherein the distance is proportional to a resolution of the visualization plane.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a program of instructions executable by machine to perform steps for visualization, the steps comprising:

receiving a three-dimensional image;

localizing one or more structures of interest in the image by determining one or more bounding boxes;

determining a position of an anatomical label using a positioning technique selected according to a view type of a visualization plane through the image, wherein the position of the anatomical label is outside the one or more structures of interest, wherein the position is determined based on a center point and extents of at least one of the one or more bounding boxes in response to the view type being determined as coronal-dominated or sagittal-dominated; and

displaying the anatomical label at the determined position in the visualization plane.