Method and apparatus for identifying features in a multidimensional data set

A method in a data processing system for enabling the identification of a position of a related feature in a plurality of two-dimensional data slices stored in a data set, comprising:

• providing said data set containing said plurality of two-dimensional data slices at said workstation in said data processing system;
• projecting a left side surface and a back surface to form a three-dimensional image on said workstation;
• displaying a selected one of said plurality of two-dimensional data slices from said data set on said back surface of said three-dimensional image to said user at said workstation;
• marking the position of said related feature by said user on said selected one of said two-dimensional data slices so that the marking projects into said left side surface of said three-dimensional image;
• and
• projecting a different one of said plurality of two-dimensional data slices on the back surface of said three-dimensional images while continuously displaying the marking of the previously selected two-dimensional data slice in said left side surface while repeating said marking step so that said user may verify the position of the feature in said different two-dimensional and selected data slices.

An interactive data interpretation tool for enabling the identification of a position of a related feature in a plurality of two-dimensional data slices stored in a data set, comprising:

• means for providing said data set containing said plurality of two-dimensional data slices at said workstation in said data processing system;
• means for projecting a left side surface and a back surface to form a three-dimensional image on said workstation;
• means for displaying a selected one of said plurality of two-dimensional data slices from said data set on said back surface of said three-dimensional image to said user at said workstation;
• means for marking the position of said related feature by said user on said selected one of said two-dimensional data slices so that the marking projects into said left side surface of said three-dimensional image;
• and
• means for projecting a different one of said plurality of two-dimensional data slices on the back surface of said three-dimensional image while continuously displaying the marking of the previously selected two-dimensional data slice in said left side surface while repeating said marking so that said user may verify the position of the feature in said different and selected two-dimensional data slices.

A program storage device readable by a data processing system, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by said data processing system to perform method steps for identifying by a user a position of a related feature in a plurality of two-dimensional data slices having a first dimension and a second dimension, comprising:

• providing a data set containing said plurality of two-dimensional data slices;
• displaying one of said plurality of two-dimensional data slices from said data set to a user at workstation in said data processing system;
• projecting a third dimension connected to said displayed two-dimensional data slices containing said first dimension and said second dimension to form a three-dimensional image at said workstation in said data processing system;
• identifying by said user at said workstation said position of said related feature within said displayed two-dimensional data slices;
• drawing in a line in said third dimension in said three-dimensional image on said workstation representing said position of said related feature within said displayed two-dimensional data slices on said workstation;
• replacing said one of said plurality of two-dimensional data slices with a different one of said plurality of two-dimensional slices from said data set while displacing and simultaneously displaying said drawn in line in said third dimension;
• and
• repeating the identifying and drawing steps for said different one of said data slices so that said position of said feature can be easily verified by said user at said workstation.