Animation for Conveying Spatial Relationships in Three-Dimensional Medical Imaging

• US 20090304250A1
• Filed: 01/09/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Wiesner, Stefan, Smith-Casem, Mervin Mencias, Ljung, Patric, McDermott, Bruce A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/523 for generating planar views from image data in a user selectable plane not corresponding to the acquisition plane
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52074 Composite displays, e.g. split-screen displays; Combination of multiple images or of images and alphanumeric tabular information

Abstract

Spatial relationships are conveyed in three-dimensional ultrasound imaging. To transition a volume rendering from one view to another view, the transition is animated, showing rotation. For example, the user examines one diagnostic view, but decides to examine another diagnostic view. Upon selection of the other diagnostic view, the volume rendered image appears to rotate. The rotation from one view to another shows the spatial relationship between the views. The user may then examine the static volume rendering at the desired view with an appreciation of the relationship with the previously examined static view.

Claims

1. A method for conveying spatial relationships in three-dimensional medical imaging, the method comprising:

displaying a first three-dimensional representation of a first diagnostic view of at least a portion of the patient, the first three-dimensional representation being at a first viewing angle;

receiving an indication of a second diagnostic view of the portion;

animating a transition from the first diagnostic view to the second diagnostic view, the transition comprising a plurality of intermediary three-dimensional representations of the portion, each of the intermediary three-dimensional representations of the portion corresponding to different intermediary viewing angles; and

displaying a second three-dimensional representation of the second diagnostic view of the portion after the transition, the second three-dimensional representation being at a second viewing angle different than the first viewing angle, the different intermediary viewing angles different than the first and second viewing angles.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving an indication comprises receiving user input selecting the second diagnostic view.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the first three-dimensional representation comprises displaying the first three-dimensional representation statically for at least two seconds, and wherein displaying the second three-dimensional representation comprises displaying the second three-dimensional representation statically for at least two seconds.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the first and second three-dimensional representations of the first and second diagnostic views comprises displaying standard diagnostic views.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein animating comprises generating the plurality of intermediary three-dimensional representations as a sequence, the sequence representing steps in the different viewing angles gradually changing from the first viewing angle to the second viewing angle, each of the intermediary three-dimensional representations being displayed for a short time such that the portion appears to rotate from the first three-dimensional representation to the second three-dimensional representation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein animating comprises displaying the portion rotating between the first and second diagnostic views.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion comprises a heart, and wherein the transition is from a first multi-planar reconstruction view to a second multi-planar reconstruction view.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

displaying at least three multi-planar reconstruction views including the first and the second at a same time and displaying the first three-dimensional representation, second three-dimensional representation, and intermediary three-dimensional representations with the at least three multi-planar reconstructions.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the transition occurs in response to a single user input of the indication.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the transition is from the first diagnostic view to at least a pair of views including the second diagnostic view, the second diagnostic view representing a first sub-portion of the portion represented by the first diagnostic view.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the transition comprises dividing the first three-dimensional representation into the first sub-portion and a second sub-portion, and separately altering viewing angles associated with the first and second sub-portions.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the portion comprises a heart, the first three-dimensional representation being a side view of an outside of the heart, the first sub-portion being a front of the heart and the second sub-portion being a back of the heart, the transition comprises rotating the front and back so that the second three-dimensional representation and a third three-dimensional representation comprise views of the interior of the front and interior of the back.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising animating transition of a clipping plane from the first diagnostic view to the second diagnostic view.

13. A system for conveying spatial relationships in three-dimensional medical imaging, the system comprising:

a memory operable to store data representing a volume of a patient;

a processor operable to generate a plurality of three-dimensional representations of the volume from the data, each of the three-dimensional representations having a different viewing angle relative to the volume;

a timer operable to cause static display of an initial three-dimensional representation of the plurality for a first period and a final three-dimensional representation of the plurality for a second period, and operable to cause display of a sequence of three-dimensional representations of the plurality between the initial and final three-dimensional representations, each of the three-dimensional representations of the sequence being displayed for a time less than the first and second periods; and

a display operable to display the initial three-dimensional representation, the sequence of three-dimensional representations, and the final three-dimensional representation.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a user input, the processor operable to transition in an animation from the initial three-dimensional representation, through the sequence of three-dimensional representations, and to the final three-dimensional representation in response to user activation of the user input.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is operable to generate a multi-planar reconstruction of the volume, the initial and final three-dimensional representations comprising three-dimensional renderings from viewing angles associated with first and second planes of the multi-planar reconstruction, the sequence comprising rotation between the viewing angles.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is operable to generate the initial three-dimensional representation as a full view of a heart from an outside, and the final view comprises an interior view of a first half of the heart, the sequence comprising rotating about ninety degrees along at least one axis, appearing to open the heart.

17. In a computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for conveying spatial relationships in three-dimensional medical imaging, the storage medium comprising instructions for:

receiving user input indicating a change of a three-dimensional rendered image from a first view to a second view; and

animating the change of the three-dimensional rendered image from the first view to the second view such that three-dimensional rendered image appears to gradually transition from the first view to the second view rather than jump directly from the first view to the second view.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the instructions further comprise displaying a plurality of two-dimensional images representing clip planes through an ultrasound scan volume, the three-dimensional rendered image representing at least a portion of the ultrasound scan volume, the user input corresponding to selecting the second view as corresponding with one of the two-dimensional images.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the first view is divided, the second view corresponding to one of the divisions, a third view corresponding to another one of the divisions, the divisions both rotated differently as the animating.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 wherein the first view is of a heart, the second view is of a front of the heart, and the third view is of a back of the heart, the animating corresponding to dividing the heart, and opening the heart by rotating the second and third views away from each other.