Abstract: A method of displaying images representative of image data includes providing a user interface for displaying a three-dimensional (3D) image and at least one two-dimensional (2D) image, setting a volumetric field of view for the 3D image, setting a respective further field of view for the at least one 2D image, and linking the volumetric field of view and the at least one further field of view so that a movement of the volumetric field of view of the 3D image automatically causes a corresponding movement of the further field of view of the at least one 2D image, and so that a movement of the further field of view or at least one of the field of view of the at least one 2D image automatically causes a corresponding movement of the volumetric field of view of the 3D image.

Abstract: A method of processing image data including performing a first mapping, of a first image dataset to a first reference, performing a second mapping, of a second image dataset to a second reference, and using the first mapping and the second mapping to correlate at least one position in the first image dataset to at least one position in the second image dataset.

Abstract: A method of displaying images representative of image data includes providing a user interface for displaying a three-dimensional (3D) image and at least one two-dimensional (2D) image, setting a volumetric field of view for the 3D image, setting a respective further field of view for the at least one 2D image, and linking the volumetric field of view and the at least one further field of view so that a movement of the volumetric field of view of the 3D image automatically causes a corresponding movement of the further field of view of the at least one 2D image, and so that a movement of the further field of view or at least one of the field of view of the at least one 2D image automatically causes a corresponding movement of the volumetric field of view of the 3D image.

Abstract: A method of processing image data including performing a first mapping, of a first image dataset to a first reference, performing a second mapping, of a second image dataset to a second reference, and using the first mapping and the second mapping to correlate at least one position in the first image dataset to at least one position in the second image dataset.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a two-dimensional output image of a slab multi-planar reformatting (MPR) volume data set from a selectable view point and view direction is described. The method comprises factorizing a view transform matrix into an intermediate transform matrix and a warp transform matrix. The intermediate transform matrix is such that voxels in the volume data set map to pixels in an intermediate image in which neighboring voxels in a plane of the volume data set which is most parallel to tie plane of the output image are separated by an integer number of pixel along each of tie axes of the intermediate image. The intermediate transform matrix is applied to the data set to provide an intermediate data set. A projection of the intermediate data set along the view direction is performed according to a desired projection algorithm to provide the intermediate image. The wrap transform matrix is then applied to the intermediate image to provide the output image.

Abstract: A method of processing medical imaging volume data in a computer network is described. The method comprises loading a medical imaging data set to be processed to a server computer, processing the data set on the server computer, e.g. by executing a software application, and generating corresponding server-generated results. The server-generated results, e.g. rendered images, may then be transmitted to a client computer for display to a user. This allows users to quickly view the results of the processing because they have not had to wait for the data set to be transferred to their local machine before locally processing the data. However, while this is happening, the data set itself is also transmitted, e.g. as a background operation, to the client computer. Thus eventually the client computer has access to a local copy of the data set and may start processing the data set itself, thus freeing up server resources.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a two-dimensional output image of a slab multi-planar reformatting (MPR) volume data set from a selectable view point and view direction is described. The method comprises factorising a view transform matrix into an intermediate transform matrix and a warp transform matrix. The intermediate transform matrix is such that voxels in the volume data set map to pixels in an intermediate image in which neighbouring voxels in a plane of the volume data set which is most parallel to tie plane of the output image are separated by an integer number of pixel along each of tie axes of the intermediate image. The intermediate transform matrix is applied to the data set to provide an intermediate data set. A projection of the intermediate data set along the view direction is performed according to a desired projection algorithm to provide the intermediate image. The wrap transform matrix is then applied to the intermediate image to provide the output image.

Abstract: A computer automated process is presented for accelerating the rendering of sparse volume data on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). GPUs are typically SIMD processors, and thus well suited to processing continuous data and not sparse data. The invention allows GPUs to process sparse data efficiently through the use of scatter-gather textures. The invention can be used to accelerate the rendering of sparse volume data in medical imaging or other fields.

Abstract: An image processing system in which sets of image elements having display values outside of a target range B of display values are each respectively morphologically dilated. The intersection between the morphologically dilated sets of image elements is then identified and those image elements within the intersecting region are removed from the set of image elements having the target range B of display values. This removes image elements incorrectly appearing to have display values corresponding to the target range B of display values due to aliasing effects between regions of image elements having display values either side of the target range B of image values. The imaging may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional imaging. The morphological dilatation is preferably performed with a quasi-circular or a quasi-spherical structuring element having a radius of between two and three voxels.

Abstract: A method of processing medical imaging volume data in a computer network is described. The method comprises loading a medical imaging data set to be processed to a server computer, processing the data set on the server computer, e.g. by executing a software application, and generating corresponding server-generated results. The server-generated results, e.g. rendered images, may then be transmitted to a client computer for display to a user. This allows users to quickly view the results of the processing because they have not had to wait for the data set to be transferred to their local machine before locally processing the data. However, while this is happening, the data set itself is also transmitted, e.g. as a background operation, to the client computer. Thus eventually the client computer has access to a local copy of the data set and may start processing the data set itself, thus freeing up server resources.

Abstract: A computer automated process is presented for accelerating the rendering of sparse volume data on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). GPUs are typically SIMD processors, and thus well suited to processing continuous data and not sparse data. The invention allows GPUs to process sparse data efficiently through the use of scatter-gather textures. The invention can be used to accelerate the rendering of sparse volume data in medical imaging or other fields.

Abstract: A computer program and a computer-implemented system and method for generating a two-dimensional image of a volume data set representing an object volume from a selectable viewpoint. An object volume data set includes voxel values ordered by voxels along a row that extends in a first direction, rows across a plane that extends in the first direction and a second direction, and planes through an object volume that extend in the first and second directions and a third direction. In response to the definition of a view vector defining a view direction with respect to a viewpoint, shear and warp mappings are determined, as is which of the first, second and third directions is closest to the view vector. Pixels of a two-dimensional sheared image having a plurality of lines of pixels are then determined from voxel values of the object volume data set identified by the shear mapping.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for rendering multiplanar reformatting (MPR) images of volume data to be displayed to a user. The apparatus may comprise a conventional personal computer system having a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a system memory for storing the volume data and a graphics processing unit (GPU) having a GPU memory connected to the computer bus. The computer system CPU is configured to predict an MPR image which may be required for display at a future time and to identify blocks of voxels comprising the volume data which will be needed to render the predicted MPR image. The CPU is further operable to retrieve these blocks from the system memory and to queue them for transfer to the GPU memory. The transfer of blocks from the queue to the GPU memory is controlled by a scheduler such that at least some of the queued blocks are transferred to the GPU memory prior to the predicted MPR image becoming required for display.

Abstract: A computer program and a computer-implemented system and method for generating a two-dimensional image of a volume data set representing an object volume from a selectable viewpoint. An object volume data set includes voxel values ordered by voxels along a row that extends in a first direction, rows across a plane that extends in the first direction and a second direction, and planes through an object volume that extend in the first and second directions and a third direction. In response to the definition of a view vector defining a view direction with respect to a viewpoint, shear and warp mappings are determined, as is which of the first, second and third directions is closest to the view vector. Pixels of a two-dimensional sheared image having a plurality of lines of pixels are then determined from voxel values of the object volume data set identified by the shear mapping.