Method of visualization of a part of a three-dimensional image

• US 7,242,402 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2000
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Norway AS (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Norway AS (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Trousset, Yves, Knoplioch, Jeo, Launay, Laurent, Betting, Fabienne, Vaillant, Re
• Primary Examiner(s): YANG, RYAN R
• Application Number:
  US09/594,873
• Time in Patent Office: 2,581 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/421, 345/420, 345/424, 345/653, 345/679, 345/427, 382/128
• US Class Current: 345/424
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/008 Cut plane or projection plane definition

Abstract

The invention concerns a method of visualization of a part of a three-dimensional image. The part is defined by a finite predetermined volume, a sphere, for example, the center of which is located on an element of interest present in the three-dimensional image. In order to do so, a point is selected on the element of interest, a sphere is created in the three-dimensional image, the dimensions of which are predetermined and the center of which is the point on the element of interest, an intersection is made between the sphere and the three-dimensional image, and then the part of the three-dimensional image contained in the sphere is displayed.

Claims

1. A method of visualization of a three-dimensional image representative of a three-dimensional imaged object, the method comprising:

displaying the three-dimensional image in a display window;

selecting a point on an element of interest present in a part of the three-dimensional image, and subsequent thereto, moving the three-dimensional image within the display window in response to the selected point on the element of interest;

creating in the part of the three-dimensional image a finite volume whose dimensions are predetermined and whose center is the point on the element of interest present in the part of the three-dimensional image, an outside dimension of the finite volume being less than a width of the display window;

making an interactive intersection between the predetermined finite volume and the part of the three-dimensional image to isolate the element of interest in the three-dimensional image; and

displaying in the display window only the part of the three-dimensional image contained in the predetermined finite volume.

2. The method of visualization according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined finite volume can be displaced in the thee-dimensional image. according to a translational motion, while displaying only the part of the three-dimensional image contained at each instant in the predetermined finite volume.

3. The method of visualization according to claim 1 wherein displaying the part of the three-dimensional image contained in the predetermined finite volume as well as any other part of the three-dimensional image not contained in a cylinder, with the predetermined finite volume, of section identical to the section of the predetermined finite volume and of infinite length, and in that any part of the three-dimensional image not contained in the cylinder is displayed in degraded mode.

4. The method of visualization according to claim 1 wherein once a part of the three-dimensional image is visualized in the predetermined finite volume, the dimensions of that predetermined finite volume can be modified by an operator.

5. The method of visualization according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined finite volume is a sphere whose diameter is equal to half the width of a display window of the three-dimensional image.

6. The method of visualization according to claim 1 wherein once the point is selected on the element of interest, a translation of the three-dimensional image is made, so as to place the point in the center of a display window of the three-dimensional image.

7. The method of visualization according to claim 1 wherein the point is selected by means of a cursor.

8. The method of visualization according to claim 1, wherein:

the displaying results in the displaying of white space within the display window and outside of the predetermined finite volume.

9. The method of visualization according to claim 1, wherein:

the making an interactive intersection to isolate the element of interest comprises removing from the image to be displayed those elements outside of the predetermined finite volume.