Automatic analysis in virtual endoscopy

• US 7,149,564 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wake Forest University Health Sciences
• Original Assignee: Wake Forest University Health Sciences
• Inventors: Ge, Yaorong, Ahn, David K., Salido, Tiffany W., Stelts, David R., Vining, David J., Hemler, Paul F., Hunt, Gordon W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S.
• Application Number:
  US10/109,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20020193687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/416, 600/425, 128/920, 345419-423
• US Class Current: 600/425
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/08 Volume rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20012 Locally adaptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30032 Colon polyp
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30064 Lung nodule
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/155 involving morphological operators
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/285 for injections, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, sigmoidscopy, insertion of contraceptive devices or enemas
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A computer system and a computer-implemented method are provided for interactively displaying a three-dimensional rendering of a structure having a lumen and for indicating regions of abnormal wall structure. A three-dimensional volume of data is formed from a series of two-dimensional images representing at least one physical property associated with the three-dimensional structure. An isosurface of a selected region of interest is created by a computer from the volume of data based on a selected value or values of a physical property representing the selected region of interest. A wireframe model of the isosurface is generated by the computer wherein the wireframe model includes a plurality of vertices. The vertices are then grouped into populations of contiguous vertices having a characteristic indicating abnormal wall structure by the computer. The wireframe model is then rendered by the computer in an interactive three-dimensional display to indicate the populations of abnormal wall structure.

Claims

1. A method for interactively displaying three dimensional structures comprising the steps of:

providing a three-dimensional volume of data representing at least one physical property associated with a three dimensional body;

isolating a selected region of interest from the volume of data based on selected values of the physical property representing the selected region of interest;

rendering the isolated region of interest as a surface rendered image in an interactive three-dimensional display; and

displaying a volume-rendered image adjoining the surface-rendered image in an interactive three-dimensional display.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 including displaying at least one planar image through the surface-rendered image of the interactive three-dimensional display.

3. A method for interactively displaying three dimensional structures comprising the steps of:

providing a three-dimensional volume of data representing at least one physical property associated with a three dimensional body;

isolating a selected region of interest from the volume of data based on selected values of the physical property representing the selected region of interest;

determining an arbitrarily oriented cross-sectional area of the selected region of interest; and

rendering the arbitrarily oriented cross-sectional area of the isolated region of interest in an interactive three-dimensional display.

4. An apparatus for automatic analysis in virtual endoscopy for interactively displaying a three-dimensional rendering of an anatomical structure having a lumen, the apparatus comprising:

a computer-controlled device to acquire images of selected body organs, and

a renderer to produce three-dimensional renderings of images of the anatomical structures, the renderer adapted to incorporate a surface rendering of an organ into a volume rendering of the surrounding anatomy using texture memory to achieve a combined surface/volume rendering,

wherein the three-dimensional renderings are interactive to enable the display of movement about the rendered anatomical structure.

5. An apparatus for automatic analysis in virtual endoscopy for interactively displaying a three-dimensional rendering of an anatomical structure, the apparatus comprising:

a computer-controlled device to acquire images of selected body organs, and

a renderer to produce three-dimensional renderings of anatomical structures of the images, the renderer adapted to incorporate a surface rendering of an organ into a volume rendering of the surrounding anatomy using texture memory to achieve a hybrid rendering effect,

wherein the surface rendered organ may be highlighted in the context of the volume-rendered surrounding anatomy, and wherein the three-dimensional renderings are interactive to enable the display of movement about the rendered anatomical structure.

6. An apparatus for automatic analysis in virtual endoscopy for interactively displaying a three-dimensional rendering of an anatomical structure, the apparatus comprising:

a computer-controlled device to acquire images of selected body organs, and

a renderer to produce in a display window multiplanar views of anatomical structures of the images which include at least one of orthogonal and oblique views that are presented simultaneously with a surface-rendered organ and surrounding volume-rendered anatomy.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the renderer produces a simultaneous display of multiplanar views centered on a point that changes in response to user selected movement within the rendered anatomical structure.

8. A method for interactively displaying three dimensional structures comprising the steps of:

providing a three-dimensional volume of data representing at least one physical property associated with a three dimensional body;

isolating a selected region of interest from the volume of data based on selected values of the physical property representing the selected region of interest;

generating a wireframe model of a selected surface of the isolated region of interest, the wireframe model comprising a plurality of polygons and a plurality of vertices associated with the polygons; and

rendering the wireframe model in an interactive three-dimensional display.

9. The method according to claim 8 comprising the step of determining a connectivity matrix to provide information regarding the connectivity between the vertices of the wireframe model.

10. The method according to claim 8 comprising the step of re-ordering the polygons into a sequence corresponding to the order in which the polygons would be encountered while traversing the wireframe model along a selected direction.

11. The method according to claim 8 comprising the step of calculating the wall thickness at a vertex on the wireframe model from the volume data of the isolated region of interest.

12. The method according to claim 8 comprising the step of determining a local curvature at a selected vertex by summing the scalar distance between each of a selected number of levels of adjacent vertices and the plane perpendicular to the normal of the selected vertex.