Displaying three-dimensional medical images

A method for displaying three-dimensional medical images of a subject comprising:

• obtaining properties for an object included in the subject, the object comprising a set of voxels and the properties comprising a selection indicator, a spatial region, color information, and a first function representing a relation between a degree of opacity and values for the set of voxels;
• and
• if the selection indicator indicates the object is selected for display, creating a three-dimensional image of the object comprising:
• calculating a density for each of the set of voxels using the first function;
• calculating a gradient for each of the set of voxels based on adjacent voxels;
• determining a color for each of the set of voxels;
• mapping the density, gradient, and color for the set of voxels onto a memory;
• and
• performing volume rendering on the density, gradient, and color in the memory.

A computer-readable medium having executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

• obtaining properties for an object included in the subject, the object comprising a set of voxels and the properties comprising a s election indicator, a spatial region, color, and a first function representing a relation between a degree of opacity and values for the set of voxels;
• and
• if the selection indicator indicates the object is selected for display, creating a three-dimensional image of the object comprising:
• calculating a density for each of the set of voxels using the first function;
• calculating a gradient for each of the set of voxels based on adjacent voxels;
• determining a color for each of the set of voxels;
• mapping the density, gradient, and color for the set of voxels onto a memory;
• and
• performing volume rendering on the density, gradient, and color in the memory.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory coupled to the processor through a bus;
• and
• an image process executed from the memory to cause the processor to map to the memory a density, gradient and a color for each of a set of voxels representing an object in a subject and to create a three-dimensional image of the object by performing volume rendering on the density, gradient, and color in the memory.