Patent ID: 8249687

Claim:
A computer implemented method of operating on volumetric imaging data representing organ anatomy for virtual identification of polyps, the computer implemented method comprising: receiving the volumetric imaging data into a computing device communicatively coupled to a display; presenting a three-dimensional (3-D) image of the organ anatomy on the display using the volumetric imaging data, wherein the 3-D image is presented from a variable virtual viewing point within the 3-D image, the variable virtual viewing point being a location within the 3-D image at a specific time, wherein the location of the variable virtual viewing point within the 3-D image is changeable within the 3-D image; identifying, with the device, a polyp location and generating a distance mask surrounding the polyp location in the volumetric imaging data; determining, with the device, whether the polyp location is in a direct line of sight of the variable virtual viewing point, or whether the polyp location is hidden from the direct line of sight of the variable virtual viewing point by an intervening anatomical feature but the distance mask surrounding the polyp location is in the direct line of sight of the variable virtual viewing point, as the location of the variable virtual viewing point is changed; and providing a viewable indicator of the polyp location in the 3-D image on the display, wherein the viewable indicator is presented from a viewing perspective of the variable virtual viewing point, the viewable indicator in the direct line of sight of the variable virtual viewing point to indicate a location in the 3-D image at which a polyp at the polyp location is hidden due to the intervening anatomical feature between the polyp and the location of the variable virtual viewing point within the 3-D image.