Patent ID: 6345113
Filing Date: 2002-02-05
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
A method of detecting objects represented in three-dimensional reconstructed computed tomography (CT) data acquired within a three-dimensional region defined by a three-dimensional scanning coordinate system, comprising:identifying object volume elements from the volume elements of the three-dimensional reconstructed CT data so as to define volume elements constituting an entire object; identifying three axes defined by eigenvectors associated with the entire object; and generating a two-dimensional projection from three-dimensional reconstructed CT data of the entire object in a plane associated with one of the three axes defined by the eigenvectors associated with the entire object; wherein the plane in which the two-dimensional projection is generated is a plane in which the two-dimensional projection has maximum area; wherein the plane in which the two-dimensional projection has maximum area is identified by searching solid angles over a hemisphere in the three-dimensional region defined by the three-dimensional scanning coordinate system.