Claims
- 1. A method for constructing from volumetric CT or MRI scan data of a patient region, a virtual two-dimensional fluoroscopic or shadowgraph image of the patient region as seen from a selected point in space, comprising
(a) selecting a point in space representing a virtual fluoroscopic irradiation source, (b) defining a plurality of rays extending between the source point and each of a plurality of points in a two-dimensional XY array of points, where (i) the array points correspond to pixels in an XY pixel array in a display screen, (ii) each pixel in the display screen has multiple N-bit registers for receiving digitized values for each of multiple colors, (iii) the scan data is composed of voxels having defined coordinates and associated M-bit tissue-density values, and (iv) at least some of the rays pass through a plurality of such voxels in the patient target region, (c) for each ray, distributing the M bits of the density values of voxels along that ray among the multiple N-bit registers of the associated pixel, such that one or more bit positions of each M-bit value is assigned to a selected register of that pixel, (d) for each ray, summing the M-bit values of the voxels along that ray by (i) individually summing the one or more bit-position values in each associated pixel register, and (ii) determining the sum of the M-bit values along the associated ray from the values in the individual registers, and (e) displaying the image constructed of gray-scale values representing the summed M-bit density values at each pixel in said display screen.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixels in the display screen each contain four 8-bit registers, the density values in each voxel are 8-bit numbers, and the 8 bit voxel-density numbers are distributed two digits each to each of the registers.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixels in the display screen each contain four 8-bit registers, the density values in each voxel are 8-bit numbers, and the 8 bit voxel-density numbers are distributed 3 digits, 3 digits, 1 digit and 1 digit to each of the four registers.
- 4. A system for constructing from volumetric CT or MRI scan data of a patient region, a virtual two-dimensional fluoroscopic image of the patient region as seen from a selected point in space, comprising
(a) a scan-data file for storing, in digital form, volumetric scan data of a surgical site of a patient, where the scan data is composed of voxels having defined coordinates and associated M-bit tissue-density values, (b) a display screen containing a two-dimensional XY array of pixel elements, each element containing multiple N-bit registers for receiving digital-scale values for each of multiple colors, and (c) a computational device operatively connected to the data file and display screen for (i) defining a plurality of rays extending between a selected source point and each of a plurality of points in a two-dimensional XY array, where (ia) the array points correspond to array pixels in the display screen, and (ib) at least some of the rays pass through a plurality of scan-date voxels in the patient target region, (ii) for each ray, distributing the M bits of the voxel density values among the multiple N-bit registers of the associated pixel, such that one or more bit positions of each M-bit value is assigned to a selected register of that pixel, (iii) for each ray, summing the M-bit values of the voxels along that ray by (iiia) individually summing the one or more bit-position values in each associated pixel register, and (iiib) determining the sum of the M-bit values along the associated ray from the values in the individual registers, and (iv) applying the summer tissue-density values along each ray to the associated pixel in the display screen.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/230,631 filed Sep. 7, 2000, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60230631 |
Sep 2000 |
US |