Patent ID: 7639867
Filing Date: 2009-12-29
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A medical image generating apparatus that generates a three-dimensional medical image by a ray casting method in which volume data including voxel values obtained by imaging an interior of a living body is acquired to calculate a reflected light of a light ray with which the volume data is virtually irradiated, comprising: a shading section that performs shading with an irradiation of the light ray at an arrival position and a next arrival position of the virtual light ray; a shift position specifying section that specifies a shift position having a voxel value at the ray arrival position shifted from the arrival position of the virtual light ray, wherein the shift position is different from the next arrival position; a color information obtaining section that obtains color information from a voxel value at the shift position; a gradation information obtaining section that obtains gradation information of the arrival position; and an image generating section that generates a three-dimensional medical image based at least on the color information obtained by the color information obtaining section at the shift position and gradation information obtained by the gradation information obtaining section for each arrival point thereby using the color information at the shift position and the gradation information at each arrival position to calculate the reflected light of a light ray.