Diffusion tensor surface visualization

A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a program of instructions executable by a processor to perform method steps for diffusion tensor visualization, the method steps comprising:

• receiving diffusion weighted image slice data;
• segmenting a diffusion tensor field from the diffusion weighted image slice data;
• determining a fractional anisotropy field and a principle diffusion direction field of the diffusion tensor field, wherein the diffusion tensor field is restricted to surface points of the image slice data;
• determining a surface rendering from the principle diffusion direction field;
• determining a streamline through each surface point of the surface rendering according to the principle diffusion direction field;
• determining an oriented texture intensity encoding local vector field tangents in grey scale values for the surface points of the diffusion tensor field;
• determining a surface color for each of the surface points encoding a combination of the local vector field tangents of the oriented texture intensity, a color determined from the principle diffusion direction field, and a grey scale value of fractional anisotropy field at the surface points;
• and
• rendering the surface points having the corresponding surface colors.