Patent ID: 6491632
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: A61B,G06T,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for forming a three-dimensional view of a plurality of quasi two-dimensional sensor image slices of an object acquired by an imaging sensor, said method comprising;a. positioning a target device having a target plane containing known contrasting visual features in fixed relationship to an imaging sensor, b. utilizing said imaging sensor to generate a sequence of sensor image scans in known relationship to said sensor to thereby form a plurality of sequential quasi two-dimensional image slices of an object, said image slices bearing a known geometrical relationship to said sensor, c. forming an optical image of said target device for each said sensor imaging scan using an optical imaging system that has an optical axis which may be inclined at an arbitrary oblique angle to a normal to said target plane, d. determining a first coordinate transformation that maps an oblique optical image of said target device into a normal view thereof, e. mapping by said first coordinate transformation each said optical image of said target device into a normal optical image thereof, f. utilizing said first coordinate transformation and said known relationship of said sensor image scan to said sensor to orient and position each quasi two-dimensional image slice into a transformed image slice in a fixed coordinate system containing said object.