3D Medical Image Depth Visualization via Cutting Plane Opacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for displaying three-dimensional medical images, such as MIP, fail to effectively convey depth information, making it difficult for operators to recognize depth relationships between image elements like blood vessels, requiring additional views and reducing efficiency and operability.
Innovation Solution
An image display method that adjusts opacity between a three-dimensional image and a cutting plane to differentiate overlapping and non-overlapping areas, creating a positional relationship display image that represents the mutual positional relationship between the three-dimensional image, cutting plane, and body surface image, thereby incorporating depth information into the display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If MIP method is used to display three-dimensional image, then volume data can be visualized, but depth information is lost and depth relationship between blood vessels cannot be recognized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the three-dimensional image (MIP image) with a two-dimensional cutting plane image into a single composite display. The cutting plane is superimposed on the MIP image, allowing operators to simultaneously view both the volumetric data and the depth reference plane without switching between separate views, thus preserving depth information while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting plane acts as an intermediary element that provides depth reference information. By displaying the cutting plane with different luminance characteristics than the MIP image, it serves as a visual mediator that helps operators perceive depth relationships between blood vessels while the MIP image continues to display the volumetric data
2Loss of information
If cutting plane is displayed with MIP image, then depth information can be recognized, but image synthesis method is not disclosed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different luminance parameters to the cutting plane and MIP image to distinguish them visually. The cutting plane is displayed with luminance values that differ from the MIP image, allowing the operator to clearly differentiate between the depth reference plane and the volumetric data while maintaining a unified composite display
Data Source
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Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
The image display method comprises a three-dimensional image creating step that creates a three-dimensional image based on volume data; a cutting plane setting step that sets a cutting plane that cuts the three-dimensional image at an arbitrary position; and a positional relationship display image creating step that creates a positional relationship display image representing the mutual positional relationship between the three-dimensional image and the cutting plane, in which the opacity of the cutting plane in the positional relationship display image is adjusted so that a portion of the three-dimensional image that is hidden by the cutting plane is visually recognizable through the cutting plane in the positional relationship display image.