Three-dimensional image display device

• US 7,019,745 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2001
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM Healthcare Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Goto, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, ANDREW GUS
• Application Number:
  US10/471,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20040075658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 345/426, 382/131
• US Class Current: 345/426
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52068 Stereoscopic displays; Three-dimensional displays; Pseudo 3D displays G01S15/8993 takes precedence

Abstract

A three-dimensional image display apparatus emphasizes display of a particular portion using the volume rendering method, where a volume image constructed by aligning a plurality of tomograms is shaded and projected on a predetermined projection plane to produce a 3D image. A volume rendering method is used where, in an algorithm for shading, virtual light beams are radiated from a virtual light source set outside the volume image, and pixel values on the projection plane are calculated based on reflectivity and density gradient of light beams at the respective pixels on the projection plane. At a luminescence ratio allocating area, a luminescence ratio is allocated for amplifying light beams entering pixels representing a particular object to be emphasized. The thus-allocated luminescence ratio is added as a parameter of the shading calculation in the volume rendering method and is used for calculation of pixel values on the projection plane.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional image display apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional image by shading a volume image constructed by aligning a plurality of tomograms and projecting it on a projection plane using a volume rendering method where, in an algorithm for shading, light beams are radiated from a virtual light source set outside the volume image and pixel values on the projection plane are calculated based on the reflectivity and the density gradient of the light beams at the respective pixels of the volume image, the three-dimensional image display apparatus including luminescence ratio allocating means for allocating a luminescence ratio for amplifying light beams entering the pixels representing a particular object to be emphasized in the display and calculating means for calculating pixel values on the projection plane by adding the above-allocated luminescence ratio as a parameter of a shading calculation in the volume rendering method, wherein the particular object to which the luminescence is allocated is emphasized in the display.

2. A three-dimensional image display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said luminescence ratio allocating means has luminescence ratio patterns for lesions in the respective portions of the object, each pattern allocating a luminescence ratio to pixels with density values indicating a lesion in that portion, and by choosing the portion whose lesion is to be emphasized in the display, the luminescence pattern corresponding to that portion is selected.

3. A three-dimensional image display apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional image by shading a volume image constructed by aligning a plurality of tomograms and projecting it on a predetermined projection plane using a volume rendering method where, in an algorithm for shading, virtual light beams are radiated from a virtual light source set outside the volume image and pixel values on the projection plane are calculated based on the reflectivity and the density gradient of the light beams at the respective pixels of the volume image, the three-dimensional image display apparatus including color luminescence ratio allocating means for allocating a color luminescence ratio to pixels representing a particular object to be emphasized in the display among objects to be displayed in the volume image and calculating means for adding, as a parameter of a shading calculation in the volume rendering method, the color luminescence ratio allocated to the pixels by luminescence ratio allocating means and calculating pixel values on the projection plane, whereby the particular object to which the color luminescence ratio is allocated is emphasized in the display.