Patent ID: 7376456

Claim:
A method for rendering an image of selected tissue on the basis of spectral data, the method comprising scanning a series of points within the selected tissue with radiation; detecting radiation reflected from the selected tissue; obtaining spectral data from the reflected radiation; processing the spectral data to generate a set of numbers, wherein each number in the set of numbers characterizes a different point of selected tissue, wherein each number is indicative of a probability that a portion of a selected tissue belongs to a particular class, and wherein the portion of selected tissue is located at the point characterized by the number; defining a band having first and second end points corresponding to first and second values of the probability; defining a continuous grade output having a beginning value, an ending value, and a set of values between the beginning and ending value; determining that a number associated with a first portion of the selected tissue lies outside the band; representing the first portion using an end point of the continuous grade output; determining that a number associated with a portion of the selected tissue lies within the band; and converting the number into a continuous grade output value between the beginning value and the ending value, the continuous grade output value being selected to correspond to the location, within the band, of the number that characterizes the portion of the selected tissue; and representing a portion of an image corresponding to the portion of the selected tissue using the continuous grade output value; whereby, for each portion of the image, the value of the continuous grade output used to generate that portion of the image is indicative of the probability that a corresponding portion of selected tissue that is classified as belonging to a particular class does, in fact, belong to the particular class.