Abstract: Generating anatomically specific movie driven medical image review is provided. Scan data is received representing an anatomy of a patient. A movie generation preset selection associated with the scan data is received. Anatomical landmarks within the scan data are detected. A movie of the patient is generated based on the scan data, the movie generation preset, and the anatomical landmarks.

Abstract: Interior scan and exterior photos are jointly visualized in medical imaging. One or more cameras are mounted to the internal medical scanner, allowing a photograph to be taken while or in temporal proximity to when the internal region of the patient is scanned. An image associating the exterior photographs with the interior region of the patient is presented to assist in diagnosis. Due to the spatial and temporal proximity, the image may be a visualization formed by combining the photograph and interior scan data.

Abstract: A depiction of a three-dimensional object that is displayed using volume rendering is influenced. A representation of the object, in which values of a variable characterizing the object are given at spatial points of the object and in which color values are allocated to the variable during the course of rendering, is provided. A set of points defined in the space of representation of the object is input, and a distance from spatial points incorporated by the representation to the set of points is calculated. Color values allocated to spatial points are modified, or color values are determined according to the calculated distance. A depiction of the object by volume rendering is calculated using the representation of the object, the representation incorporating the modified or determined color values.

Abstract: An adjustment of the visualization of volume data of an object as an image with regard to diagnostically relevant medical information relating to the environment of a region under investigation is provided. In the process, at least one slice region is specified in accordance with slice information within the volume data. A first mapping of a value range of the volume data is used for visualizing the at least one slice region on a display. A second mapping different from the first mapping is used for visualizing a region bordering on the at least one slice region on the display.

Abstract: A two-dimensional representation of an object using volume rendering, with a representation of the object being used in which values of a quantity characterizing the object are given at spatial points of the object, is provided. A blended color value for the representation as pixels on a screen is calculated using a volume rendering technique that does not use an illumination model or uses a local illumination model. At least one ray emanating from a surface of the object is simulated for the purpose of calculating the effect of shadows or the effect of ambient occlusion. A value for the effect of shadows or a value for the effect of ambient occlusion is calculated using the at least one ray. The blended color value and the calculated value are combined in order to obtain a blended color value that takes into account the effect of shadows or ambient occlusion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method and apparatus for computing the shading of a volume. A slice of the volume is rendered along a half-angle direction that is between a light direction and a view direction. A slice of the volume is then rendered along a light direction to assimilate shadow information of the slice in a shadow buffer. The shadow buffer is bled orthogonal to the light direction to shade the slice.

Abstract: An imaging method with an improved display of a tissue region generates a first visualization and a second visualization from projection recordings that were recorded at different angles. A radiologist is enabled to mark a region in the first visualization, which region is displayed by way of the second visualization.

Abstract: Slice representation of a volume with the aid of volume data is provided. A selection of a slice orientation for slice representation of volume data is made. A slice is then determined in accordance with the selected orientation. A relief representation is calculated for this slice and used as a relief for the representation of the at least one slice. A vivid representation of slice information is provided.

Abstract: A layer display of volume data is provided. A layer orientation for the layer display of the volume data is selected. At least one layer is calculated in accordance with the selected orientation. A virtual light source is selected for the inclusion of light effects in the display of the layers. A calculation is performed of a light effect generated by the virtual light source with the help of a reflection model for the at least one layer. The at least one layer is displayed, taking account of the light effect.

Abstract: A method for generating an image formed with pixels from volume data representing a volume with the aid of volume rendering with multi resolution is provided. The method includes implementing a calculation of a pixel of the image and determining an item of information characterizing resolution used during the pixel calculation. The method also includes adjusting the pixel in accordance with the item of information.

Abstract: The rendering pipeline is divided into multiple components or modules in a scene graph based visual programming environment. Different stages of the rendering pipeline, such as data conversion, transform function, shading, and rendering, are grouped into independent conceptual modules, and each module is implemented by separate nodes in a scene graph. The user may select different nodes belonging to different modules for inclusion into the scene graph to program the rendering pipeline. The visual program is implicitly compiled and run using an application programming interface for hardware acceleration.

Abstract: A method for volume rendering a digitized medical image includes providing a digitized medical image volume comprising a plurality of intensities on a 3-dimensional grid of points, providing a projection plane comprising a 2-dimensional lattice of points onto which rendering rays are projected from a viewing point through the image volume, advancing a sampling point along a ray through the image volume, generating an incision region within the image volume, determining whether the sampling point is within the incision region, where a first transfer function is applied to a sample value interpolated from a first volume if the sampling point is within the incision region, and a second transfer function is applied to a sample value interpolated from a second volume if the sampling point is outside the incision region, and accumulating the output of the transfer function.

Abstract: A method for efficiently changing a depiction of a three-dimensional volume using ray casting is providing. The method includes dividing the three-dimensional volume into zones, inputting a change that is required to the depiction, and ascertaining the zones that are affected by the change. The method also includes classifying the change as relevant to a zone when the zone is affected by the change and effecting an assignment between the affected zones and the relevant changes. The method includes performing ray casting using simulated rays. A change is only carried out for sampling points along the rays when the sampling point lies in an affected zone.

Abstract: Properties of an object are visualized as an image on a display. In this way, the object is visualized using volume data. In accordance with slice information, at least one slice area is defined within the volume data. An image of a value region of the volume data is used for visualization on the display. The image is changed for the slice area in accordance with a distance of the slice area relative to a region of volume data bordering the slice area.

Abstract: An adjustment of the visualization of volume data of an object as an image with regard to diagnostically relevant medical information relating to the environment of a region under investigation is provided. In the process, at least one slice region is specified in accordance with slice information within the volume data. A first mapping of a value range of the volume data is used for visualizing the at least one slice region on a display. A second mapping different from the first mapping is used for visualizing a region bordering on the at least one slice region on the display.

Abstract: At least one embodiment of the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for visualizing 3D image data from tomographic imaging modalities using a rendering technique in which every pixel is calculated by integrating or summing along respectively one ray through a volume surrounded by the 3D image data. In the method, a peeling function is additionally introduced into the integration or summation, by which, in the integration or summation, the 3D image data on the respective ray only contributes with its full data value to reducing the optical transparency beyond a prescribable value of an optical skin depth. The peeling function is selected such that, in a transition region before the prescribable value of the optical skin depth is reached, the 3D image data on the ray still contributes to reducing the optical transparency with a fraction of its full data value such that there is a smooth profile, generated by the peeling function, when an outer layer is peeled off.

Abstract: An imaging method with an improved display of a tissue region generates a first visualization and a second visualization from projection recordings that were recorded at different angles. A radiologist is enabled to mark a region in the first visualization, which region is displayed by way of the second visualization.

Abstract: A method for calculating an image in the context of a volume visualization by ray casting using a plurality of computing nodes is provided. The method includes subdividing a volume that is to be visualized into subvolumes assigned to the plurality of computing nodes; assigning a subdivision of data to volume points and storing the subdivision of data in a memory associated with the plurality of computing nodes, the subdivision corresponding to the assignment of subvolumes to nodes; and computing at least one pixel by generating a ray leading through the volume, wherein computing includes taking into account points lying on the ray one after another.

Abstract: A method of direct volume rendering is provided comprising combining ambient occlusion volumes terms from a plurality of different filtered volumes using filters with different radii. During an ambient occlusion computation phase, the method obtains ambient occlusion terms from a plurality of different filtered volumes and, combining the ambient occlusion terms from the plurality of different filtered volumes into a composite ambient volume occlusion. During a subsequent volume rendering phase, data acquired from the subject is processed using the composite ambient volume occlusion to obtain a shaded rendition of an image of the subject.

Abstract: In a method and device spatially resolved quality information is provided for an x-ray imaging procedure in which a data field representing the examination subject is reconstructed from a number of exposures of an examination subject. Quality information that indicates the reliability of the reconstructed data field for the corresponding element is determined for a number of elements of the data field.