3-dimensional image display apparatus capable of displaying a 3-D image by manipulating a positioning encoder

• US 5,229,935 A
• Filed: 07/25/1990
• Issued: 07/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Urushiya, Hiroyuki, Yamagishi, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., Roy N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huntley, David
• Application Number:
  US07/556,725
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 364/413.13, 364/413.14, 364/413.22, 395/119, 395/124, 395/126, 395/128, 378/901
• US Class Current: 600/425
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects

Abstract

In an X-ray three-dimensional image display apparatus, a rotary encoder unit is employed which determines a window level and width of a two-dimensional image, and furthermore determines both upper and lower threshold limits in an X-ray CT (computerized tomographic) value of an X-ray tomographic image. The three-dimensional image display apparatus further includes a 3-dimensional image construction unit for constructing the 3-dimensional image from image data of a plurality of X-ray CT slices based upon the determined upper and lower limit values of the X-ray value. The rotary encoder unit includes D-type flip-flops which provide pulse signals to pulse counters.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional image display apparatus comprising:

positioning means for determining a window value of a two-dimensional image of a biological body under medical examination, said positioning means including

first rotary encoder/pulse counter circuit means for producing a first positioning signal indicating a center value within a threshold level range of a region of said biological body to be imaged, said first rotary encoder/pulse counter circuit means having

a first rotary encoder having a first rotary knob, said first rotary encoder producing a first pulse train in response to a rotation of said first rotary knob,

first and second D-type flip-flops, said first and second D-type flip-flops receiving said first pulse train produced by said first rotary encoder to produce a first count-up pulse and a first count-down pulse, respectively, and

a first pulse counter, said first pulse counter receiving said first count-up pulse and said first count-down pulse to produce said first positioning signal, and

second rotary encoder/pulse counter circuit means for producing a second positioning signal indicating an upper limit and a lower limit of said threshold level range, said second rotary encoder/pulse counter circuit means having

a second rotary encoder having a second rotary knob, said second rotary encoder producing a second pulse train in response to a rotation of said second rotary knob,

third and fourth D-type flip-flops, said third and fourth D-type flip-flops receiving said second pulse train produced by said second rotary encoder to produce a second count-up pulse and a second count-down pulse, respectively, and

a second pulse counter, said second pulse counter receiving said second count-up pulse and said second count-down pulse to produce said second positioning signal;

setting means for selecting a region of said biological body to be imaged as a three-dimensional image;

three-dimensional image constructing means for constructing, in response to said window value, said three-dimensional image corresponding to said selected region of said biological body from data of a plurality of computerized tomographic images; and

displaying means for displaying said three-dimensional image constructed by said three-dimensional image constructing means.

2. The three-dimensional image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring means for acquiring said plurality of computerized tomographic images to form said data of said plurality of tomographic images;

storing means for storing said data of said plurality of computerized tomographic images; and

means for sequentially reading out said data of said plurality of tomographic images from said storing means into said three-dimensional image constructing means.

3. The three-dimensional image display apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

work buffer memory means for temporarily storing said data of said plurality of tomographic images read out from said storing means; and

display image buffer memory means for temporarily storing data of said three-dimensional image.

4. The three-dimensional image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said three-dimensional image constructing means includes high-speed calculation unit means for performing at least a binary-coding operation, a voxel data calculation, a projection image conversion, and a distance image forming operation with respect to said data of said plurality of computerized tomographic images.

5. The three-dimensional image display apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein, while said high-speed calculation unit means constructs said three-dimensional image from said data of said plurality of computerized tomographic imagers, a binary-coded image is formed by said high-speed calculation unit means and simultaneously displayed with said three-dimensional image by said displaying means.

6. The three-dimensional image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said three-dimensional image display apparatus is an X-ray three-dimensional image display apparatus, and said positioning means determines upper and lower limits of an X-ray computerized tomography value and a central X-ray computer tomography value between said upper and lower limits of said X-ray computerized tomography value.

7. The three-dimensional image display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said three-dimensional image display apparatus is a magnetic resonance three-dimensional image display apparatus, and said positioning means determines upper and lower limits of a magnetic resonance value and a central magnetic resonance value between said upper and lower limits of said magnetic resonance value.