Abstract: A medical imaging apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: receive three-dimensional flow data, wherein the three-dimensional flow data comprises data acquired by medical imaging of a subject; perform a first intensity projection to process first flow data corresponding to a first region in the three-dimensional flow data having a first direction of flow, thereby obtaining a first color; perform a second, independent intensity projection to process second flow data corresponding to a second region in the three-dimensional flow data having a second direction of flow which is different from the first direction of flow, thereby obtaining a second color; combine the first color and the second color to obtain a combined color; and generate volume rendering image data based on the combined color.

Abstract: A medical image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: acquire volumetric image data for rendering; determine a plurality of positions of a viewpoint or positions of a light based on distance, or other spatial relationship, between the viewpoint or light and a surface or other selected feature in the image data; and render the volumetric data based on the plurality of viewpoint positions or light positions.

Abstract: A medical imaging apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to acquire a volumetric data set, acquire location information for a layer that is part of a structure represented in the volumetric data set, and perform a ray casting algorithm to generate a rendered image from the volumetric data set. The ray casting algorithm includes, for each of a plurality of rays cast through a volume of the volume of the volumetric data set: determining data values for a plurality of sample positions along the ray; estimating, based on the location information, a position of an intersection point at which the ray intersects the layer; and using a precomputed function to determine a contribution of the intersection point to an aggregated color for the ray.

Abstract: A medical imaging apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to acquire a volumetric data set, acquire location information for a layer that is part of a structure represented in the volumetric data set, and perform a ray casting algorithm to generate a rendered image from the volumetric data set. The ray casting algorithm includes, for each of a plurality of rays cast through a volume of the volume of the volumetric data set: determining data values for a plurality of sample positions along the ray; estimating, based on the location information, a position of an intersection point at which the ray intersects the layer; and using a precomputed function to determine a contribution of the intersection point to an aggregated color for the ray.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to render an image from volumetric image data based on illumination from at least one simulated light source. The illumination is determined from a current portion of light intensity and at least one trailing portion of light intensity if a position or other property of the at least one simulated light source is changed.

Abstract: A medical image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: acquire volumetric image data for rendering; determine a plurality of positions of a viewpoint or positions of a light based on distance, or other spatial relationship, between the viewpoint or light and a surface or other selected feature in the image data; and render the volumetric data based on the plurality of viewpoint positions or light positions.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to render an image from volumetric image data based on illumination from at least one simulated light source. The illumination is determined from a current portion of light intensity and at least one trailing portion of light intensity if a position or other property of the at least one simulated light source is changed.

Abstract: A medical image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: obtain a medical imaging data set representative of at least part of at least one surface; render from the medical imaging data set at least one image of the at least part of the at least one surface, wherein the or each image is rendered using a respective lighting configuration; and determine a measure of lighting quality for the or each rendered image; wherein, for the or each rendered image, the determining of the measure of lighting quality comprises, for each of a plurality of locations on the at least part of the at least one surface, determine a correspondence between a curvature of the at least one surface at that location and a lighting value at that location, wherein the lighting value is obtained from the rendering of the image; and determine the measure of lighting quality based on the determined correspondences.

Abstract: A medical image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: obtain volumetric medical imaging data comprising a voxel value; obtain an opacity value corresponding to the voxel value; obtain an extinction color and/or transmission color corresponding to the voxel value; modify the extinction color and/or transmission color using the opacity value, wherein the modifying of the extinction color and/or transmission color is performed using a combined opacity model that combines a first opacity model and a second, different opacity model, such that the first opacity model makes a higher contribution to the modifying than the second opacity model at lower values of opacity, and the second opacity model makes a higher contribution to the modifying than the first opacity model at higher values of opacity; and render the volumetric medical imaging data using the modified extinction color and/or transmission color.

Abstract: A medical image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: obtain volumetric data corresponding to a three dimensional region of a subject; perform a sampling process that comprises sampling the volumetric data at a plurality of sampling points along a plurality of sampling paths; for each of a plurality of intervals between sampling points on sampling paths, determine a position of a shading evaluation point in the interval based on intensity values and/or opacity values for a front sampling point and back sampling point of the interval; and determine a value for a shading parameter at the determined shading evaluation point; and perform a rendering process using the determined values for the shading parameter.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: acquire first image data that is representative of a subject at a first time and second image data that is representative of the subject at a second, different time; process the first image data and second image data to obtain a plurality of transformed first data sets and a plurality of transformed second data sets; transform the transformed first data sets and transformed second data sets to obtain respective first distance transforms and second distance transforms; select a combination of at least one of the first distance transforms and at least one of the second distance transforms; generate at least one morphed distance transform based on the combination; and process the at least one morphed distance transform to obtain upsampled image data that is representative of the subject at a third time.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: acquire first image data that is representative of a subject at a first time and second image data that is representative of the subject at a second, different time; process the first image data and second image data to obtain a plurality of transformed first data sets and a plurality of transformed second data sets; transform the transformed first data sets and transformed second data sets to obtain respective first distance transforms and second distance transforms; select a combination of at least one of the first distance transforms and at least one of the second distance transforms; generate at least one morphed distance transform based on the combination; and process the at least one morphed distance transform to obtain upsampled image data that is representative of the subject at a third time.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: obtain an irradiance volume representative of virtual light cast into a volumetric imaging data set, the irradiance volume comprising a respective irradiance value for each of a plurality of points in the irradiance volume; determine, for each of a plurality of reference points in the irradiance volume, a respective value for an accuracy measure, wherein the value for the accuracy measure at each reference point is representative of an accuracy with which irradiance has been determined at or near that reference point; and perform a rendering process using the irradiance volume, wherein the rendering process is performed in dependence on the determined values for the accuracy measure.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus comprises a first memory configured to store at least one data set; a second memory configured to store a multi-channel atlas texture; and processing circuitry configured to: store at least one region of the at least one data set in one or more corresponding regions of the multi-channel atlas texture by altering data values of the at least one region of the at least one data set in accordance with a transformation vector comprising at least one channel weight and/or at least one numerical offset value; and reconstruct data values from the altered data values by transforming the altered data values using the transformation vector.

Abstract: A medical image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: obtain volumetric medical imaging data comprising a voxel value; obtain an opacity value corresponding to the voxel value; obtain an extinction color and/or transmission color corresponding to the voxel value; modify the extinction color and/or transmission color using the opacity value, wherein the modifying of the extinction color and/or transmission color is performed using a combined opacity model that combines a first opacity model and a second, different opacity model, such that the first opacity model makes a higher contribution to the modifying than the second opacity model at lower values of opacity, and the second opacity model makes a higher contribution to the modifying than the first opacity model at higher values of opacity; and render the volumetric medical imaging data using the modified extinction color and/or transmission color.

Abstract: A medical image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: obtain volumetric data corresponding to a three dimensional region of a subject; perform a sampling process that comprises sampling the volumetric data at a plurality of sampling points along a plurality of sampling paths; for each of a plurality of intervals between sampling points on sampling paths, determine a position of a shading evaluation point in the interval based on intensity values and/or opacity values for a front sampling point and back sampling point of the interval; and determine a value for a shading parameter at the determined shading evaluation point; and perform a rendering process using the determined values for the shading parameter.

Abstract: An image rendering apparatus includes processing circuitry to obtain a volumetric medical imaging data set representative of a region of a material; associate one particular extinction color with the material; determine, based on the particular extinction color, a chromatic attenuation profile representative of color value as a function of intensity and as a function of depth in the material, the chromatic attenuation profile showing how the material having the particular extinction color changes in appearance with changes in the depth; obtain, from a user, a color value; determine a modified extinction color for the material based on the color value obtained from the user; and render a global illumination image from the volumetric medical imaging data set using the modified extinction color.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus comprises processing circuitry configured to: obtain an irradiance volume representative of virtual light cast into a volumetric imaging data set, the irradiance volume comprising a respective irradiance value for each of a plurality of points in the irradiance volume; determine, for each of a plurality of reference points in the irradiance volume, a respective value for an accuracy measure, wherein the value for the accuracy measure at each reference point is representative of an accuracy with which irradiance has been determined at or near that reference point; and perform a rendering process using the irradiance volume, wherein the rendering process is performed in dependence on the determined values for the accuracy measure.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic device includes a first rendering unit, a second rendering unit, a superimposition processing unit, a display control unit. The first rendering unit generates a first rendering image according to a first rendering method based on volume data collected by three-dimensionally scanning a subject with ultrasonic waves. The second rendering unit generates a second rendering image according to a second rendering method that is different from the first rendering method, based on the volume data. The superimposition processing unit generates a superimposed image in which at least a part of the first rendering image and a part of the second rendering image are superimposed on each other. The display control unit causes a display device to display the superimposed image. The superimposition processing unit adjusts a superimposition ratio of the first and second rendering images in the superimposed image.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus comprises a first memory configured to store at least one data set; a second memory configured to store a multi-channel atlas texture; and processing circuitry configured to: store at least one region of the at least one data set in one or more corresponding regions of the multi-channel atlas texture by altering data values of the at least one region of the at least one data set in accordance with a transformation vector comprising at least one channel weight and/or at least one numerical offset value; and reconstruct data values from the altered data values by transforming the altered data values using the transformation vector.