Concurrent display and adjustment of 3D projection, coronal slice, sagittal slice, and transverse slice images
First Claim
1. A CT scanner system comprising:
- a source of radiation for irradiating an examination region from a plurality of directions;
a radiation detection means disposed across the examination region from the radiation source for receiving radiation that has traversed the examination region;
an examined object support means for supporting and moving an object axially through the examination region such that a volumetric region of the object is examined;
a reconstruction means for reconstructing data values representing voxels of the volumetric region;
an object memory means for storing the data values from the reconstruction means;
a transform means for transforming polygonal surfaces of the volumetric region into transformed polygonal surfaces on a viewing plane which transformed polygonal surfaces represent projections of the volumetric region polygonal surfaces on the viewing plane and for reversely transforming locations on the viewing plane into corresponding coordinates in the volumetric region;
a two-dimensional display means for generating a two-dimensional human-readable display corresponding to the viewing plane, the human-readable display including a two-dimensional array of pixels, the transforming means reversely transforming the locations of the pixels into corresponding coordinates of the volumetric region;
an image processor means for converting the data values corresponding to the reversely transformed pixel coordinates into image values displayed at the corresponding pixels of the two-dimensional display means;
a cursor positioning means for selecting a location on the two-dimensional display at which a cursor is displayed, the cursor positioning means being operatively connected with the image processor means for causing the cursor to be displayed at the selected cursor location and with the transform means for reversely transforming the selected cursor location to a corresponding cursor coordinate in the volumetric region;
a plane defining means operatively connected with the transform means for defining at least two of transverse, coronal, and sagittal planes through the volumetric region which intersect at the reversely transformed cursor coordinate, the data values corresponding to the defined planes being supplied to the image processor means which converts the data values corresponding to the defined planes into image values which are displayed on the two-dimensional display means, whereby human-readable images of a projection view of the volumetric region and at least two of intersecting transverse, coronal, and sagittal planes are displayed concurrently, the human-readable images of the planes changing substantially in real time as the cursor positioning means moves the cursor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A CT scanner (A) non-invasively examines a volumetric region of a subject and generates volumetric image data indicative thereof. An object memory (B) stores the data values corresponding to each voxel of the volume region. An affine transform algorithm (60) operates on the visible faces (24, 26, 28) of the volumetric region to translate the faces from object space to projections of the faces onto a viewing plane in image space. An operator control console (E) includes operator controls for selecting an angular orientation of a projection image of the volumetric region relative to a viewing plane, i.e. a plane of the video display (20). A cursor positioning trackball (90) inputs i- and j-coordinate locations in image space which are converted (92) into a cursor crosshair display (30) on the projection image (22). A depth dimension k between the viewing plane and the volumetric region in a viewing direction perpendicular to the viewing plane is determined (74). The (i,j,k) image space location of the cursor is operated upon by the reverse of the selected transform to identify a corresponding (x,y,z) cursor coordinate in object space. The cursor coordinate in object space is translated (100, 102,104) into corresponding addresses of the object memory for transverse, coronal, and sagittal planes (10, 12, 14) through the volumetric region.
389 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A CT scanner system comprising:
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a source of radiation for irradiating an examination region from a plurality of directions; a radiation detection means disposed across the examination region from the radiation source for receiving radiation that has traversed the examination region; an examined object support means for supporting and moving an object axially through the examination region such that a volumetric region of the object is examined; a reconstruction means for reconstructing data values representing voxels of the volumetric region; an object memory means for storing the data values from the reconstruction means; a transform means for transforming polygonal surfaces of the volumetric region into transformed polygonal surfaces on a viewing plane which transformed polygonal surfaces represent projections of the volumetric region polygonal surfaces on the viewing plane and for reversely transforming locations on the viewing plane into corresponding coordinates in the volumetric region; a two-dimensional display means for generating a two-dimensional human-readable display corresponding to the viewing plane, the human-readable display including a two-dimensional array of pixels, the transforming means reversely transforming the locations of the pixels into corresponding coordinates of the volumetric region; an image processor means for converting the data values corresponding to the reversely transformed pixel coordinates into image values displayed at the corresponding pixels of the two-dimensional display means; a cursor positioning means for selecting a location on the two-dimensional display at which a cursor is displayed, the cursor positioning means being operatively connected with the image processor means for causing the cursor to be displayed at the selected cursor location and with the transform means for reversely transforming the selected cursor location to a corresponding cursor coordinate in the volumetric region; a plane defining means operatively connected with the transform means for defining at least two of transverse, coronal, and sagittal planes through the volumetric region which intersect at the reversely transformed cursor coordinate, the data values corresponding to the defined planes being supplied to the image processor means which converts the data values corresponding to the defined planes into image values which are displayed on the two-dimensional display means, whereby human-readable images of a projection view of the volumetric region and at least two of intersecting transverse, coronal, and sagittal planes are displayed concurrently, the human-readable images of the planes changing substantially in real time as the cursor positioning means moves the cursor.
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2. An image display system comprising:
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an object memory means for storing data values from a three-dimensional image data source representing voxels of a three-dimensional volumetric region; a transform means for transforming polygonal surfaces of the volumetric region into transformed polygonal surfaces on a viewing plane which transformed polygonal surfaces represent projections of the volumetric region polygonal surfaces on the viewing plane and for reversely transforming locations on the viewing plane into corresponding coordinates in the volumetric region; a two-dimensional display means for generating a two-dimensional human-readable display corresponding to the viewing plane, the human-readable display including a two-dimensional array of pixels, the transforming means reversely transforming the locations of the pixels into corresponding image pixel coordinates of the volumetric region; an image processor means for converting the data values corresponding to the reversely transformed image pixel coordinates into image values displayed at the corresponding pixels of the two-dimensional display means; a cursor positioning means for selecting a location on the two-dimensional display at which a cursor is displayed, the cursor positioning means being operatively connected with the image processor means for causing the cursor to be displayed at the selected location and with the transform means for reversely transforming the selected cursor location to a corresponding cursor coordinate in the volumetric region; a plane defining means operatively connected with the transform means for defining at least two planes through the volumetric region which intersect at the reversely transformed cursor coordinate, data values corresponding to the defined planes being supplied to the image processor means which converts the data values corresponding to the defined planes into image values which are displayed on the two-dimensional display means, whereby human-readable images of a projection view of the volumetric region and at least two intersecting planes in the volumetric region are displayed concurrently with the human-readable images of the planes changing as the cursor positioning means moves the cursor. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In an image display system which includes an object memory for storing data values representing voxels of a three-dimensional volumetric region, a transform means for transforming voxel coordinates of the volumetric region which define polygonal surfaces into transformed polygonal surfaces on a viewing plane, which transformed polygonal surfaces represent projections of the volumetric region polygonal surfaces onto the viewing plane and for reversely transforming locations on the viewing plane into corresponding voxel coordinates in the volumetric region, a two-dimensional display means for generating a two-dimensional human-readable display, the human-readable display including a two-dimensional array of pixels, the transforming means reversely transforming locations of the pixels on the view plane into corresponding pixel coordinates in the volumetric region, and an image processor means for converting the data values corresponding to the reversely transformed pixel coordinates into image values for display at the corresponding pixels of the two-dimensional display means, the improvement comprising:
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a cursor positioning means for selecting a location on the two-channel display at which a cursor is displayed, the cursor positioning means being operatively connected with the image processor means for causing the cursor to be displayed at the selected location on the two-dimensional display and being operatively connected with the transform means for reversely transforming the selected cursor location to a corresponding cursor coordinate in the volumetric region; a plane defining means operatively connected with the transform means for defining at least two planes through the volumetric region, which planes intersect at the cursor coordinate, the data values corresponding to the defined planes being supplied to the image processor means to be converted into the image values which are displayed on the display means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of concurrently displaying a projection image of a volumetric region and at least two intersecting planes through the volumetric region, the method comprising:
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displaying the projection image on a portion of a two-dimensional display means; displaying a cursor at a selected location on the projection image; transforming the selected cursor location into a corresponding cursor coordinate of the volumetric region; defining a first plane through the volumetric region which intersects the cursor coordinate; defining a second plane through the volumetric region which intersects the first plane and the cursor coordinate; generating a display of data values corresponding to the first plane in a second portion of the two-dimensional display means; generating a display of the data values corresponding to the second plane in a third region of the display means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification