System to reformat images for three-dimensional display using unique spatial encoding and non-planar bisectioning

A system for generating diagnostic images comprising:

• image memory means for storing spatially encoded image data representative of a physical characteristic of a three-dimensional object;
• means for generating spatially encoded primary curve data representative of a selected primary curve;
• surface generation means for generating spatially encoded cutting surface data in accordance with the selected primary curve;
• means for apportioning the spatially encoded image data into at least first and second portions in accordance with the cutting surface data;
• means for generating a visual display in accordance with spatially encoded data of at least one of the portions;
• means for generating spatially encoded secondary curve data representative of a second selected curve and wherein the surface generation means further includes means for generating the cutting surface data in accordance with the secondary curve data;
• wherein each selected curve is defined as a continuous line comprised of at least one line segment, and wherein each curve has first and second end points at extremes thereof;
• means for categorizing the spatially encoded image data into at least one cross-sectional generally planar region;
• and
• wherein the surface generation means further includes;
• means for determining a first intersection point, if any, between the primary curve and each generally planar region,
• means for determining a second intersection point, if any, between the secondary curve and each generally planar region,
• means for generating spatially encoded line data for each generally planar region having both first and second intersection points thereon, the line spatially encoded line data being representative of a line segment extending between the first and second intersection points,
• means for generating spatially encoded line data for each generally planar region having one of the first and second intersection points thereon, the spatially encoded line data being representative of a line segment passing through the one of the first and second intersection points, with a direction thereof being defined by one of (a) parallel with a direction of a line segment to a neighboring generally planar region, and (b) normal to a viewing direction,
• means for generating spatially encoded line data for each generally planar region having no intersection points thereon, the line being defined by one of (a) an orthogonal projection of a line segment of a neighboring generally planar region onto the generally planar region with no intersection points thereon, and (b) outside of a range of the three-dimensional object represented by the spatially encoded image data, and
• means for generating the cutting surface data in accordance with a cutting surface plane passing through each line segment.

A system for generating three-dimensional images comprising:

• image memory means for storing of spatially encoded image data, representative of a physical characteristic of a three-dimensional object, as a series of generally planar slices with each slice being comprised of a series of generally parallel scan lines, whereby each scan line is comprised of a portion of the image data points;
• cutting surface data storage means for storing cutting surface data representative of a cutting surface for apportioning the spatially encoded image data into at least first and second portions;
• apportioning means for apportioning the spatially encoded image data points into at least first and second portions in accordance with the cutting surface data, the apportioning means including,
• slice data comparison means for comparing image data points of a slice with the cutting surface data,
• means for determining slice intersection points between the cutting surface and image data points of each of the slices in accordance with an output of the slice data comparison means,
• means for generating data representative of a line segment interconnecting each plurality intersection points lying in a common one of the planar slices,
• mapping means for determining scan line intersection points between generally each scan line of a planar slice and each line segment of each slice,
• dividing means for dividing the spatially encoded image data points into at least the first and second portions in accordance with the scan line intersection points;
• and
• means for generating a visual display in accordance with spatially encoded data of at least one of the portions.

A method for generating a display comprising the steps of:

• storing spatially encoded image data representative of a physical characteristic of a three-dimensional object;
• generating spatially encoded cutting surface data in accordance with the selected primary curve;
• generating spatially encoded secondary curve data representative of a second selected curve;
• acquiring spatially encoded region data representative of an extent of the three-dimensional object from the spatially encoded data;
• selectively extending the primary curve at at least one end thereof, such that the primary curve is at least coextensive with the extent of the spatially encoded data;
• selectively extending the secondary curve at at least one end thereof, such that the secondary curve is at least coextensive with the extent of the spatially encoded data;
• selectively reorienting the curves such that a vertex point is maintained at endpoints of any curve extensions progressing therebeyond;
• and
• generating a cutting surface data by parallelogram completion between respective segments of the primary curve and the secondary curve;
• apportioning the spatially encoded image data into at least first and second portions in accordance with the cutting surface data;
• generating a visual display in accordance with spatially encoded data of at least one of the portions.

A method or generating three-dimensional images comprising the steps of:

• storing a plurality of spatially encoded image data points, representative of a physical characteristic of a three-dimensional object as a series of generally planar slices with each slice being comprised of a series of generally parallel scan lines, whereby each scan line includes a portion of the image data points;
• storing spatially encoded cutting surface data representative of a cutting surface for apportioning the spatially encoded image data points into at least first and second portions;
• apportioning the spatially encoded image data points into at least first and second portions in accordance with the cutting surface data, the apportioning step including.
• comparing image data points of each slice with the cutting surface data,
• determining slice intersection points between the cutting surface and image data points of each of the slices,
• generating line segment representative of a line segment interconnecting each plurality intersection points lying in each planar slice,
• mapping scan line intersection points between generally each scan line of a planar slice and each line segment of each slice,
• dividing the spatially encoded image data points into at least the first and second portions in accordance with the scan line intersection points;
• and
• generating a visual display in accordance with spatially encoded data of at least one of the portions.

A system for representation generating a three-dimensional diagnostic comprising:

• image memory means for storing spatially encoded image data representative of a physical characteristic of a three-dimensional object;
• means for interactively generating spatially encoded primary curve data representative of a selected primary curve;
• surface generation means for generating three-dimensional spatially encoded cutting surface data in accordance with the selected primary curve;
• means for apportioning the spatially encoded image data into at least first and second portions in accordance with the cutting surface data;
• and
• means for generating a three-dimensional representation in accordance with spatially encoded data of at least one of the portions.

A method for generating a three-dimensional representation comprising the steps of:

• storing spatially encoded image data representative of a physical characteristic of a three-dimensional object;
• interactively generating spatially encoded primary curve data representative of a selected primary curve;
• generating three-dimensional spatially encoded cutting surface data in accordance with the selected primary curve;
• apportioning the spatially encoded image data into at least first and second portions in accordance with the cutting surface data;
• and
• generating a three-dimensional representation in accordance with spatially encoded data of at least one of the portions.