Imaging volume data

A computer program product for generating a two-dimensional image of a volume data set representing an object volume from a selectable viewpoint, the computer program comprising program code operable:

• to access from storage, a object volume data set comprising voxel values ordered by voxels along a row that extends in a first direction, rows across a plane that extends in the first direction and a second direction, and planes through an object volume that extends in the first and second directions and a third direction;
• to determine, in response to definition of a view vector defining a view direction with respect to a viewpoint, shear and warp mappings and determining one of the first, second and third directions as being closest to the view vector,
• to derive pixels of a two-dimensional sheared image having a plurality of lines of pixels from voxel values of the object volume data set identified by the shear mapping, wherein the shear mapping maps rows of voxels in the first direction onto lines of pixels of the sheared image;
• and
• to derive an output image by mapping pixels of the sheared image according to the warp mapping.

A system for generating a two-dimensional image of a volume data set representing an object volume from a selectable viewpoint, the system comprising:

• storage for an object volume data set comprising voxel values ordered by voxels along a row that extends in a first direction, rows across a plane that extends in the first direction and a second direction, and planes through an object volume that extends in the first and second directions and a third direction;
• a view processor operable to determine, in response to definition of a view vector defining a view direction with respect to a viewpoint, shear and warp mappings and determining one of the first, second and third directions as being closest to the view vector;
• a shear processor operable to derive pixels of a two-dimensional sheared image having a plurality of lines of pixels from voxel values of the object volume data set identified by the shear mapping, wherein the shear mapping maps rows of voxels in the first direction onto lines of pixels of the sheared image;
• and
• a warp processor operable to derive an output image by mapping pixels of the sheared image according to the warp mapping.

A computer-implemented method of generating a two-dimensional output image from an object volume data set, the method comprising:

• (a) providing an object volume data set comprising voxel values ordered by voxels along a row that extends in a first direction, rows across a plane that extends in the first direction and a second direction, and planes through an object volume that extends in the first and second directions and a third direction;
• (b) providing a view vector and a viewpoint, defining a view direction according to the view vector and the viewpoint, and determining one of the first, second and third directions as being closest to the view vector;
• (c) determining a shear mapping from the object volume data set to a two-dimensional sheared image;
• (d) determining a warp mapping from the two-dimensional sheared image to a two-dimensional output image;
• (e) deriving pixels of a two-dimensional sheared image having a plurality of lines of pixels from voxel values of the object volume data set identified by the shear mapping, wherein the shear mapping maps rows of voxels in the first direction onto lines of pixels of the sheared image;
• and
• (f) deriving the two-dimensional output image by mapping pixels of the sheared image according to the warp mapping.