Patent ID: 8125480

Claim:
A method of processing a three dimensional (3D) image data elements including at least one object acquired by a medical imaging device and arranged in a plurality of equally sized parallel slices, comprising: arranging successive equally sized parallel slices of three dimensional image data elements in a plurality of equally sized square 2D texture tiles, a texture tile having a plurality of texture data elements and each 2D texture tile representing a slice in the plurality of slices; arranging the plurality of equally sized 2D texture tiles in a single flat two dimensional texture comprised of two dimensional texture data elements such that three dimensional image data from successive equally sized parallel slices are in the single flat two dimensional texture, each two dimensional texture data element in the single flat two dimensional texture being addressable by a 2-dimensional address related to the single flat two dimensional texture; with a processor, addressing in accordance with a first addressing scheme a plurality of 3D image data elements in the single flat two dimensional texture and generating 2-dimensional addresses for the plurality of 3D image data elements in an order based on a first direction of viewing the three dimensional image data, wherein a non-axis aligned direction of viewing is allowed without changing the single flat two dimensional texture and rendering a first image that represents a slice through the at least one object that is based on the first direction of viewing from 3D image data elements included in at least two of the plurality of slices represented in the single flat two dimensional texture based on the first direction of viewing; and with the processor, addressing in accordance with a second addressing scheme the plurality of 3D image data elements in the single flat two dimensional texture and generating 2-dimensional addresses for the plurality of 3D image data elements in an order based on a second direction of viewing the three dimensional image data, wherein a non-axis aligned direction of viewing is allowed without changing the single flat two dimensional texture and rendering a second image from the single flat two dimensional texture based on the second direction of viewing.