Velocity volume rendering with sign-based terrmination in ultrasound
AssigneeSiemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
InventorsKing Yuen Wong, Mervin Mencias Smith-Casem
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Velocities are volume rendered in ultrasound. Early ray termination is used to avoid compositing velocities of different signs together. As long as the velocities are of the same sign, compositing continues from the viewer to a back of the volume being rendered. Once the velocity changes sign, compositing is reduced or terminated to avoid compositing velocities of different directions. The velocity rendering emphasizes the velocities of one direction closest to the viewer.
Claims20
A method for volume rendering in ultrasound, the method comprising:
- obtaining estimates of velocity at different locations distributed in three-dimensions in a patient, the estimates being signed for the velocity to and away from an ultrasound transducer;
- compositing the estimates along ray lines in a front to back direction relative to a view direction in three-dimensional rendering;
- during the compositing in the front to the back direction for at least one of the ray lines, detecting a change in sign of the estimates;
- reducing contribution of the estimates beyond the change in sign to the compositing, the reducing being in response to the detecting of the change;
- and
- generating a velocity image from the three-dimensional rendering.
A system for volume rendering in ultrasound, the system comprising:
- a memory operable to store velocities representing voxels in a volume of a patient;
- a processor configured to:
- volume render an image of pixels from the velocities where contribution for each pixel from velocities of the volume is limited to the velocities of a same sign;
- and
- a display operable to display the image.
In a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for volume rendering in ultrasound, the storage medium comprising instructions for:
- directly volume rendering directional flow data;
- detecting a flow direction change for directional flow data having a contribution to the volume rendering above a threshold;
- and
- stopping compositing of the directional flow data in the direct volume rendering when the flow direction change for the contribution above the threshold is detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.