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Method of centerline generation in virtual objects

  • US 7,324,104 B1
  • Filed: 09/16/2002
  • Issued: 01/29/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A computer-readable medium which includes thereon a set of instructions for generating a centerline in a virtual object represented as a plurality of voxels, wherein the set of instructions are configured to program a processing arrangement to perform the steps of:

  • computing the distance from boundary (DFB) for each voxel in the virtual object;

    selecting a seed point in the virtual object as the current voxel;

    selecting a next point from a set of points having a distance from the current voxel determined by the distance from boundary value of the current voxel;

    connecting the current voxel to the next point and assigning the next point as the new current voxel; and

    repeating the steps of selecting a next point and connecting until the centerline for the object is complete, thereby generating a centerline for at least one of display and navigation within the virtual object;

    wherein the set of points is the set of voxels on the surface of at least a portion of a sphere centered at the current voxel and having a radius equal to the DFB value of the current voxel, and wherein the next point has a DFB value that is higher than the DFB value of its neighbors.

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