Method, system and apparatus for surface rendering using medical imaging data

1. A device for surface rendering three-dimensional (3D) medical imaging data of an object, the device comprising:

a display device; and

a controller configured via execution of a surface extraction application to:

control the display device to render a first model of the 3D medical imaging data showing depth positions corresponding to a given surface threshold, the given surface threshold comprising a medical imaging signal intensity value that corresponds to an estimate of a first surface position of the object determined using given rules;

control the display device to render a second model of the 3D medical imaging data showing respective depth positions corresponding to the surface threshold, wherein the second model is faster to compute than the first model, wherein the second model replaces the first model at the display device, and wherein the second model is rendered in one or more of a similar position and a similar angle as the first model prior to being replaced at the display device, such that rendering of the first model and the second model at the display device are aligned;

control the display device to update rendering of the second model to show updated respective depth positions corresponding to an update surface threshold value that corresponds to a second surface position of the object different than the first surface position, and the updated surface threshold value is different than the given surface threshold value; and

in response to an acceptance of the updated surface threshold value, control the display device to replace the second model with the first model showing updated depth positions corresponding to the updated surface threshold, and wherein the first model showing the updated depth positions is rendered in one or more of the similar position and the similar angle as the first model, as originally rendered, prior to replacing the second model at the display device, such that rendering of the first model, showing the updated depth positions, and the second model at the display device are aligned.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first model comprises a mesh model.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second model comprises a ray-casting model.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the updated surface threshold value is received via an input device, and the acceptance of the updated surface threshold value is received via the input device.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second model has not been refined as compared with the first model.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the estimate of the first surface position of the object comprises a respective estimate of a skin surface or a brain surface of the object.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to exchange the given surface threshold and the updated surface threshold value between the first model and the second model.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to change the given surface threshold to the updated surface threshold value a slider rendered at the display device.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the 3D medical imaging data is selected from a list comprising of computed tomography (CT) imaging data, positron emissions tomography (PET) imaging data and 3D surface scanner imaging data.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the 3D medical imaging data comprises magnetic resonance imaging data, and the given surface threshold to the updated surface threshold value each comprise a respective magnetic resonance imaging signal intensity value.

11. A method for surface rendering three-dimensional (3D) medical imaging data of an object, the method comprising:

controlling, using a surface extraction application of a controller, a display device to render a first model of the 3D medical imaging data showing depth positions corresponding to a given surface threshold, the given surface threshold comprising a medical imaging signal intensity value that corresponds to a to an estimate of a first surface position of the object determined using given rules;

controlling, using the surface extraction application of the controller, the display device to render a second model of the 3D medical imaging data showing respective depth positions corresponding to the given surface threshold, wherein the second model is faster to compute than the first model, wherein the second model replaces the first model at the display device, and wherein the second model is rendered in one or more of a similar position and a similar angle as the first model prior to being replaced at the display device, such that rendering of the first model and the second model at the display device are aligned;

controlling, using the surface extraction application of the controller, the display device to update rendering of the second model to show updated respective depth positions corresponding to an updated surface threshold value that corresponds to a second surface position in the object different than the first surface position, and the updated surface threshold value is different than the given surface threshold value; and

in response to an acceptance of the updated surface threshold value, controlling, using the surface extraction application of the controller, the display device to replace the second model with the first model showing updated depth positions corresponding to the updated surface threshold value, and wherein the first model showing the updated depth positions is rendered in one or more of the similar position and the similar angle as the first model, as originally rendered, prior to replacing the second model at the display device, such that rendering of the first model, showing the updated depth positions, and the second model at the display device are aligned.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first model comprises a mesh model, and the second model comprises a ray-casting model.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the updated surface threshold value is received via an input device, and the acceptance of the updated surface threshold value is received via the input device.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second model has not been refined as compared with the first model.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the estimate of the first surface position of the object comprises a respective estimate of a skin surface or a brain surface of the object.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising exchanging the given surface threshold and the updated surface threshold value between the first model and the second model.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising changing the given surface threshold to the updated surface threshold value a slider rendered at the display device.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the 3D medical imaging data is selected from a list comprising of computed tomography (CT) imaging data, positron emissions tomography (PET) imaging data and 3D surface scanner imaging data.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the 3D medical imaging data comprises magnetic resonance imaging data, and the given surface threshold to the updated surface threshold value each comprise a respective magnetic resonance imaging signal intensity value.