# US 2017/0256090 A1 · Cinematic rendering of unfolded 3d volumes > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0256090 A1 - Document ID: US20170256090A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/061,188 - Filed: 2016-03-04 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-04 - Assignees: Siemens Healthcare GmbH - Applicants: Siemens Healthcare GmbH - Inventors: Shaohua Kevin Zhou; Klaus Engel; Andreas Wimmer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170256090A1 ## CPC - G06T 15/08: Volume rendering - G06T 19/00: Manipulating three-dimensional [3D] models or images for computer graphics - G06T 2219/021: Flattening - G16H 30/20: for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract The present embodiments relate to cinematic volume renderings and/or volumetric Monte-Carlo path tracing. By way of introduction, the present embodiments described below include apparatuses and methods for cinematic rendering of unfolded three-dimensional volumes. An image analysis algorithm is performed on an input volume to extract one or more structures of interest, such as a rib centerline, a liver surface or another three-dimensional volume. Based on the extracted three-dimensional structure(s), a geometric transformation is computed to generate an unfolded three-dimensional volume of the structure(s). Cinematic volume rendering techniques are used to generate a rendered image from the unfolded three-dimensional volume. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for generating a volume rendering in a medical system, the method comprising: receiving, by an image processor of the medical system, three-dimensional scan data of a volume; identifying, by the image processor, at least one three-dimensional structure from the three-dimensional scan data; unfolding, by the image processor, the at least one three-dimensional structure; and rendering, by the image processor on a display, the at least one unfolded three-dimensional structure, the rendering comprising volumetric Monte-Carlo path tracing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein identifying comprises extracting at least one three-dimensional structure from the scan data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein extracting the at least one structure comprises extracting at least a portion of a skeleton of a patient. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein extracting the at least one structure comprises extracting at least a portion of an organ of a patient. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein extracting the at least one structure comprises extracting at least a portion of a surface of the organ of a patient. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one three-dimensional structure comprises a plurality of three-dimensional structures in different planes, and wherein the unfolding comprises transforming each of the plurality of three-dimensional structures into a plane. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the transforming comprises a geometric transformation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the unfolding comprises aligning the surface of the at least one structure in a plane. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the transforming comprises a geometric transformation. ### Claim 10 A method for generating a volume rendering in a medical system, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of voxels representing a plurality of volumes, wherein each voxel has three-dimensional coordinates; extracting the plurality of three-dimensional volumes from the voxels; unfolding the plurality of three-dimensional volumes; and rendering the unfolded three-dimensional volumes on a display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the unfolding comprises applying geometric transformations to the voxels representing each of the extracted plurality of three-dimensional volumes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the extracted plurality of three-dimensional volumes comprise a plurality multi-planar structures, and wherein the unfolding comprises aligning each of the plurality multi-planar structures in a plane. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the extracted plurality of three-dimensional volumes comprise a plurality twisted structures, and wherein the unfolding comprises untwisting each of the plurality multi-planar structures. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the extracted plurality of three-dimensional volumes comprise a plurality interconnected structures, and wherein the unfolding comprises arranging each of the plurality of interconnected structures on the same plane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the arranging maintains interconnections between the plurality of interconnected structures. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the rendering comprises volumetric path tracing. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the rendering comprises volumetric Monte-Carlo path tracing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: displaying the rendering of the unfolded three-dimensional volumes. ### Claim 19 A system for generating a volume rendering, the system comprising: a scanner configured to capture an input volume of a patient; and a renderer configured to: receive, from the scanner, the input volume; extract an anatomical structure from the input volume; spatially transform the anatomical structure to a flattened representation, the flattened representation being along a slab thinner in one dimension than the anatomical structure as represented in the input volume; and generate, using volumetric path tracing, a volume rendering of the unfolded anatomical structure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19 further comprising: a workstation configured to: receive, from the renderer, the generated volume rendering; and display the generated volume rendering.