Patent ID: 7839403
Filing Date: 2010-11-23
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A method for dual rendering of medical images of a portion of a human anatomy having bone structure and vessel structure, comprising the steps of: a computed tomography x-ray scanning of said portion of the human anatomy without injected dye to generate a plurality of 2D projection native mask images showing the bone structure but not the vessel structure; a computed tomography x-ray scanning of said portion of the human anatomy with injected dye to generate a plurality of 2D projection native fill images showing both the bone structure and the vessel structure; subtracting the native mask images showing the bone structure from the native fill images showing the bone structure and the vessel structure to create 2D projection subtracted images showing the vessel structure but not the bone structure; in a first computed tomography reconstruction process, from said 2D projection subtracted images using a computer to create a subtracted 3D data volume comprising a plurality of voxels for showing the vessel structure but not the bone structure; in a second computed tomography reconstruction process, from said 2D projection native mask images using the computer to create a native mask 3D data volume comprising a plurality of voxels for showing the bone structure but not the vessel structure, and adjusting an opacity of the voxels of the native mask 3D data volume to a desired opacity to allow viewing portions of the vessel structure through the bone structure; and in a dual volume image rendering process, using both the native mask 3D data volume and the subtracted 3D data volume to create on a same 2D computer monitor a volume image of the vessel structure and a volume image of the bone structure in register with one another but where portions of the vessel structure can be seen through the bone structure based on said adjusted desired opacity.