Patent Document ID: 5454069
Application ID: 08297713
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of converting a series of serial section images of an object into a physical three-dimensional model, comprising the steps of: (a) acquiring and storing the series of serial section images; (b) converting the series of serial section images into a predetermined format; (c) zooming the converted series of serial section images; (d) interpolating additional serial section images between each of the zoomed series of serial section images; (e) discriminating the interpolated series of serial section images by retaining all pixels of each of the interpolated series of serial section images greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, to produce a discriminated series of serial section images which make up a binary image; (f) compressing the binary image to produce a compressed series of serial section images which make up a compressed binary image; (g) filtering the compressed series of serial section images of the compressed binary image and generating support data for unsupported or floating contiguous pixel groups, said step (g) including the sub-steps of (g)(1) smoothing a first image and a second image of the compressed series of serial section images using a filter, (g)(2) identifying and storing contiguous pixel groups in the first image and the second image of the compressed series of serial section images having greater than a predetermined number of pixels, (g)(3) removing the stored contiguous pixel groups in the first image which are supported by contiguous pixel groups in the second image to produce unsupported or floating contiguous pixel groups in the first image, (g)(4) finding a center of the unsupported or floating contiguous pixel groups in the first image, (g)(5) adding a contiguous support pixel group in the second image to support the unsupported or floating contiguous pixel groups in the first image, and (g)(6) repeating sub-steps (g)(1)-(g)(6) for each sequential pair of images of the compressed series of serial section images to produce the support data; (h) generating base data for the object; (i) translating the filtered binary image to produce a plurality of vectors representing pixels of the object; and (j) producing the physical three-dimensional model of the object from the plurality of vectors representing pixels of the object.