Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of retrieving a plurality of data slices from a medical image data set (5), the method comprising the steps of: a) displaying an indicator (10, 20) associated with the plurality of data slices; b) selecting the indicator (10, 20) based on a user input; and c) retrieving the plurality of data slices (1, 2) associated with the indicator when said indicator is selected; wherein the association between the indicator and the plurality of slices is based on segmentation of the medical image data set, the indicator representing an object obtained in the segmentation of the medical image data set, the plurality of data slices comprising the object data. The method of the invention reduces the amount of data transfer because it allows for retrieving only those data slices which comprise relevant data relating to the object of interest.

Abstract: A method of visualization of a multi-dimensional dataset of data-elements involves a rendering process in which a display-value and an opacity value are assigned to individual data-elements. One or several control sets are defined comprising respective datavalues, display-values and opacity values related according to the transfer function and for individual control set(s) the opacity value is adjustable independently of the opacity values of other control set(s). The individually and independently adjustable control sets enable the user to adjust the transfer function in a very intuitive way.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of constructing an object data set of data elements representing a physical property to be displayed, stored or written to a readable medium. The method includes, assigning, by the data elements, data values to respective positions in a multi-dimensional geometrical space, wherein the data values representing a physical property of an object; assigning attributes to respective data elements; deriving relative contributions of the physical property to the data values of the respective data elements; and assigning the attributes to the data elements on the basis of the relative contributions of the physical property to the data values of the data elements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of measuring geometric variables of a three-dimensional structure contained in an object from at least on image representing the object, having the following steps:—use of a deformable first model describing the structure, the shape of which model can be described by parameters,—adjustment of the first model to the structure in the image,—determination of the parameters at which the first model exhibits optimum conformity with the structure,—use of a deformable second model describing the structure, which second model in shape corresponds to the first model, and which in addition contains at least one geometric variable,—modification of the second model according to the parameters determined, and—derivation of the geometric variable(s) from the modified second model.

Abstract: A method of relating medical data image viewing planes to each other is provided. The method comprises defining at least two non-orthogonal two-dimensional (2D) image viewing planes in at least one three-dimensional (3D) medical image data set, and linking said 2D image viewing planes with a fixed relation to each other, such that when a first of said 2D image viewing planes is altered, the remaining 2D image viewing planes are automatically changed by said fixed relation with reference to said first 2D image viewing plane.

Abstract: A method for visualization and inspection of elongated curved structures is disclosed. According to an embodiment improved inspection of elongated three dimensional (3D) curved structures such as blood vessels in a 3D medical image is disclosed. Rendering is performed such that it results in the visualization of a (3D) curved cutplane of said curved elongated structure. The advantages of this method are for instance that the cutplane information is interpreted easily in relation to the three-dimensional shape and surroundings of the elongated object, without distortions, and that cutplanes along more than one structure can be visualized and examined together at the same time, without interpretation problems for diagnosis and therapy of anomalies in e.g. the blood vessels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of digital imaging, in particular to the field of estimating geometrical properties of an anatomical object. According to the present invention, geometrical properties are automatically measured and geometrical properties which have a definition based on sub-parts of the object are derived. To do this, additional geometrical information is integrated into a surface model. Geometrical properties are included into the surface model by identifying and labelling sub-parts of the surface model and fitting geometric primitives to these sub-parts. This advantageously allows to identify these sub-parts on an unseen object surface and to automatically extract relevant geometric properties.

Abstract: A system for visualizing a 3D volume, in particular for medical applications, includes an input 1010 for receiving a three-dimensional set of data representing voxel values of the 3D volume. The data set is stored in a storage 1030. A processor projects the volume onto an imaginary 2D projection screen from a predetermined viewpoint. For each pixel of the 2D projection image a ray is cast through the pixel and through the volume. A protocol is used that, while traversing along ray positions within the volume, determines a rendering algorithm and/or rendering parameters in dependence on the ray position. For each ray position the determined rendering algorithm/parameters are used to calculate a contribution to a pixel value of the pixel based on at least one voxel value within a predetermined range of the ray position. An output 1040 is used for providing pixel values of a 2D image for rendering on a display.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of navigating in a series of related images, comprising the steps of creating and storing one or more navigational entities, each navigational entity relating to an object depicting one or more images of the series of related images; and facilitating navigation within said series of related images by means of said navigational entities; wherein each navigational entity is created based on segmentation of the object depicted in the one or more images and on identification of the segmented object. This provides for user-friendly and fast navigation within a large set of related images, e.g. medical images. The invention moreover relates to a corresponding apparatus and computer program product.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of retrieving a plurality of data slices from a medical image data set (5), the method comprising the steps of: a) displaying an indicator (10, 20) associated with the plurality of data slices; b) selecting the indicator (10, 20) based on a user input; and c) retrieving the plurality of data slices (1, 2) associated with the indicator when said indicator is selected; wherein the association between the indicator and the plurality of slices is based on segmentation of the medical image data set, the indicator representing an object obtained in the segmentation of the medical image data set, the plurality of data slices comprising the object data. The method of the invention reduces the amount of data transfer because it allows for retrieving only those data slices which comprise relevant data relating to the object of interest.

Abstract: A method of object mapping in a multi-dimensional dataset, said method comprising using a processor to perform the steps of: segmenting the multi-dimensional dataset using multi-dimensional graphic objects, defining a set of geometric relations between a set of geometric templates using a geometrical relational application framework macro, associating the multi-dimensional graphic objects with the geometric templates, and constructing, for the multi-dimensional graphic objects, constituent models, wherein a constituent model is designated for segmenting a respective predetermined constituent structure, constructing a composite model for segmenting the multi-dimensional graphic dataset by determining at least two constituent structures that are incorporated in or related to the multi-dimensional graphic object, and forming the composite model based on respective constituent models that correspond to the respective determined constituent structures, the composite model being operative to segment the multi-dimen

Abstract: A method for visualization and inspection of elongated curved structures is disclosed. According to an embodiment improved inspection of elongated three dimensional (3D) curved structures such as blood vessels in a 3D medical image is disclosed. Rendering is performed such that it results in the visualization of a (3D) curved cutplane of said curved elongated structure. The advantages of this method are for instance that the cutplane information is interpreted easily in relation to the three-dimensional shape and surroundings of the elongated object, without distortions, and that cutplanes along more than one structure can be visualized and examined together at the same time, without interpretation problems for diagnosis and therapy of anomalies in e.g. the blood vessels.

Abstract: A method for matching grayvalued first elements of a first data set with grayvalued second elements of a second data set so that a first distribution of the first elements optimally matches a second distribution of the second elements, said method being characterized by the following steps: mapping said first elements on said second elements and evaluating a local grayvalue distribution difference between any mapped first element and its associated second element; from said local grayvalue distribution difference deriving for each said first element a force vector of a force field, said force vector indicating a preferred motion size and direction; combining said separate force vectors into a single force and a single torque value acting on said first elements collectively, for iteratively moving said first elements collectively to an amended mapping that improves a match between said first and second distributions.

Abstract: A method of relating medical data image viewing planes to each other is provided. The method comprises defining at least two non-orthogonal two-dimensional (2D) image viewing planes in at least one three-dimensional (3D) medical image data set, and linking said 2D image viewing planes with a fixed relation to each other, such that when a first of said 2D image viewing planes is altered, the remaining 2D image viewing planes are automatically changed by said fixed relation with reference to said first 2D image viewing plane.

Abstract: A method of visualization of a multi-dimensional dataset of data-elements involves a rendering process in which a display-value and an opacity value are assigned to individual data-elements. One or several control sets are defined comprising respective datavalues, display-values and opacity values related according to the transfer function and for individual control set(s) the opacity value is adjustable independently of the opacity values of other control set(s). The individually and independently adjustable control sets enable the user to adjust the transfer function in a very intuitive way.

Abstract: A method of visualization of a multi-dimensional dataset of data-elements involves rendering process in which a display-value and an opacity value are assigned to individual data-elements. The display-values are determined on the basis of a histogram of the data-values of the multi-dimensional dataset. The histogram being is displayed in combination with a separate distribution of display-values.

Abstract: The invention relates to a detection method (300) of detecting a boundary in a second image data from an image dataset on the basis of a reference contour in a first image data from the image dataset, the detection method (300) comprising a generating step (320) for generating a reference profile using the first image data on the basis of a qualifying characteristic, the reference profile comprising a reference profile node defined on the basis of the reference contour, a selecting step (330) for selecting a target profile using the second image data on the basis of the reference profile, and a mapping step (335) for mapping the reference profile node into the second image data on the basis of the target profile, thereby detecting the second boundary. A reference profile generated on the basis of a qualifying characteristic is more accurate in detecting the boundary in the second image than an arbitrarily generated reference profile.

Abstract: An image processing method for improving image viewing properties of a digital image is disclosed. The method comprises converting a value of a property of at least one pixel of the image into a display value of the at least one pixel of the image by means of a parameterized function, wherein the parameterized function is location dependent with reference to the location of said at least one pixel of the image, thus creating locally optimized image viewing properties of the image.

Abstract: A method is presented to calculate the relative contribution of different tissues, or tissue mix, to at least one data element in a medical object data set, the medical object data set containing data elements, the data elements assigning data values to respective positions in a multi-dimensional geometrical space containing more than one tissue, by means by which parameters are calculated for the at least one data element, the parameters being dependent on the data value of the at least one data element and data values of surrounding data elements in the neighborhood of the at least one data element, the parameters being further compared to combinations of said parameters for data elements occurring in the region of boundaries between tissues.

Abstract: The apparatus 40 arranged for enabling an object mapping in a multi-dimensional dataset has an input 42 for receiving the multi-dimensional dataset in any suitable form. The core of the apparatus is formed by a processor 44, such as a conventional microprocessor or signal processor, a background storage 48 (typically based on a hard disk) and working memory 46 (typically based on RAM). The background storage 48 can be used for storing the dataset (or parts of it) when not being processed, and for storing operations of the graphic relational application macro and models (when not being executed by the processor). The main memory 46 typically holds the (parts of) the dataset being processed and the instructions of the graphic relational application macro and the models used for processing those parts of the dataset.