Systems for visualizing images using explicit quality prioritization of a feature(s) in multidimensional image data sets, related methods and computer products

A method of rendering high or full quality features in a visualization system having limited system capacity, comprising:

• accepting user input to define at least one explicit prioritized feature of interest in a rendered image;
• and
• interactively rendering and displaying a series of medical images using the at least one explicit prioritized feature, wherein the at least one prioritized feature is automatically electronically rendered with high or full quality in different interactively requested rendered images of the image data while other non-prioritized features are rendered at lower quality.

A signal processor circuit comprising a rendering module for rendering images from respective patient multidimensional imaging data sets obtained from different imaging modalities, wherein the circuit is configured to communicate with a graphical user interface associated with a client workstation to accept user input to define at least one explicit prioritized feature in an image rendered from a multi-dimensional image data set, wherein the at least one prioritized feature is automatically electronically rendered with high or full quality in different interactively requested rendered images of the image data while non-prioritized features are rendered at lower quality.

A computer program product for providing physician interactive access to patient medical volume data for rendering diagnostic medical images, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to accept user input to define at least one explicit prioritized feature in an image rendered from a multi-dimensional image data set, wherein the at least one prioritized feature is automatically electronically rendered with high or full quality in different interactively requested rendered images of the image data while other non-prioritized features are rendered at lower quality.