System and method for volume rendering-based segmentation

• US 6,771,262 B2
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corporate Research Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Krishnan, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANCUSO, HUEDUNG XUAN CAO
• Application Number:
  US09/200,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,078 Days
• Field of Search: 345/423, 345/418, 345/419, 345/424, 600/407, 600/411
• US Class Current: 345/424
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/08 Volume rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/028 Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) imaging system and method include a processor for generating a volume-rendered 3D image on a display using a plurality of voxels from a 3D image dataset; and a view selector which responds to user inputs for determining a first set of voxels corresponding to a boundary in the volume-rendered 3D image using a predetermined boundary-specifying criteria applied to a function of the opacity of the plurality of voxels. The processor responds to the first set and to a user function selection by performing the selected function to modify the volume-rendered 3D image relative to the detected boundaries. The selected function is a display function, a measurement function, or a segmentation function. The view selector determines the boundary from voxels having opacities greater than a predetermined threshold, or determines the boundary from voxels having a gradient in opacities greater than a predetermined threshold. Alternatively, the view selector determines the boundary from voxels having a greatest contribution to a total intensity which is a function of the opacities of the voxels, or determines the boundary from voxels having respective contributions greater than a predetermined threshold, with such contributions being to a total intensity which is a function of the opacities of the voxels.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional (“

3D”

) imaging system comprising;

a processor for generating a direct-volume-rendered (“

DVR”

) 3D image on a display using a plurality of voxels from a 3D image dataset;

an arbitrary-view selector, responsive to user inputs comprising an arbitrary viewing axis, for determining a first set of voxels corresponding to a boundary in the DVR 3D image using a predetermined boundary-specifying criteria applied to a boundary condition of the opacity of the plurality of voxels, wherein the arbitrary-view selector determines the boundary from voxels having opacities greater than a selected threshold; and

a registration function for registering the DVR 3D image in correspondence with a plurality of DVR 3D images corresponding to a plurality of datasets.

2. The 3D imaging system of claim 1, wherein the processor, responsive to the first set and to a user function selection, performs the selected function to modify the DVR 3D image relative to the detected boundaries.

3. The 3D imaging system of claim 2, wherein the selected function is a display function, with the processor generating and displaying a path on the display between a plurality of selected points on the DVR 3D image.

4. The 3D imaging system of claim 2, wherein the selected function is a measurement function, with the processor determining a measurement value associated with a plurality of selected points on the DVR 3D image.

5. The 3D imaging system of claim 2, wherein the selected function is a segmentation function.

6. The 3D imaging system of claim 5, wherein the segmentation function is performed by the processor by generating a segmented image from the DVR 3D image determined by at least one selected point as a seed point on the DVR 3D image.

7. The 3D imaging system of claim 5, wherein the segmentation function is performed by the processor by generating a segmented image from the entire DVR 3D image representing a single organ currently displayed on the display.

8. The 3D imaging system of claim 5, wherein the segmentation function is performed by the processor by generating a segmented image in response to the user selecting the entire DVR 3D image for segmentation.

9. The 3D imaging system of claim 1, wherein the view selector determines the boundary from voxels having a gradient in opacities greater than a predetermined threshold.

10. The 3D imaging system of claim 1, wherein the view selector determines the boundary from voxels having a greatest contribution to a total Intensity which is a function of the opacities of the voxels.

11. The 3D imaging system of claim 1, wherein the view selector determines the boundary from voxels having respective contributions greater than a predetermined threshold, with such contributions being to a total intensity which is a function of the opacities of the voxels.

12. The 3D imaging system of claim 1, wherein the view selector determines the boundary from voxels having a sum of opacities being greater than a predetermined threshold.

13. The 3D imaging system of claim 1, wherein in the view selector further assigns different colors to respective different rendered voxels with same intensity values in selected regions.

14. A three-dimensional (“

3D”

) imaging system comprising;

a processor for generating a direct-volume-rendered (“

DVR”

) 3D image on a display using a plurality of voxels from a 3D image dataset;

an arbitrary-view selector, responsive to user inputs comprising an arbitrary viewing axis, for determining a first set of voxels corresponding to a boundary in the DVR 3D image using a predetermined boundary-specifying criteria which compares a selected threshold to a boundary condition of the opacities of the plurality of voxels to determine the boundary, wherein the arbitrary-view selector determines the boundary from voxels having opacities greater than a predetermined threshold; and

a registration function for registering the DVR 3D image in correspondence with a plurality of DVR 3D images corresponding to a plurality of datasets.

15. The 3D imaging system of claim 14, wherein the view selector determines the boundary using boundary-specific criteria which compares a predetermined threshold to a boundary condition of the opacities and the intensities of the plurality of voxels.

16. A method for determining a boundary in a direct-volume-rendered (“

DVR”

) three-dimensional (“

3D”

) image, the method comprising the steps of;

generating a DVR 3D image on a display from a plurality of voxels from a 3D image dataset using a processor;

receiving voxel values and corresponding opacity values of the plurality of voxels;

determining a first set of voxels responsive to an arbitrary viewing axis and corresponding to a boundary in the DVR 3D image by using a predetermined boundary-specifying criteria applied to a boundary condition of the opacity of the plurality of voxels, wherein the boundary is determined from voxels having opacities greater than a selected threshold; and

performing a registration function on a plurality of DVR 3D images corresponding to a plurality of datasets.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

performing a function selected by a user using the determined boundary.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of performing the selected function includes the step of:

performing a display function, with the processor generating and displaying a path on the display between a plurality of selected points on the DVR 3D image using the determined boundary.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of performing the selected function includes the step of:

performing a measurement function, with the processor determining a measurement value associated with a plurality of selected points on the DVR 3D image using the determined boundary.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of performing the selected function includes the step of:

performing a segmentation function on the DVR 3D image.