Selection of datasets from 3D renderings for viewing

A method of visualizing medical image data, the method comprising:

• with one or more processors, controlling a first display to display a 3D first view of the medical image data using medical image data obtained through a first modality depicting an anatomical region;
• with a user input device, indicating a location on the displayed 3D first view from a viewing plane and generating a triggering event;
• in response to the triggering event, propagating a probing ray in a direction perpendicular to the viewing plane into the visualized medical image data, indicating at least one probing location along the probing ray, each of the probing locations corresponding to a data element having an intensity obtained from the member image data;
• with the one or more processors in response to the triggering event, segmenting an anatomical structure in the anatomical region which is disposed at the indication probing location;
• identifying the segmented anatomical structure based on a shape of the segmented anatomical structure;
• with the one or more processors, selecting a part of the medical image data and a type of view based on the identified anatomical structure,
• converting the intensities of data elements into opacity values through a direct volume rendering transfer function and comparing the opacity values with an opacity threshold;
• based on the comparison with the opacity threshold, identifying data element membership indices to determine the member image data and the anatomical structure of the data element;
• and
• with the one or more processors, controlling a second display to display a second view of the selected part of medical image data obtained through a second modality in the selected type of view, thereby visualizing the second modality medical image data.

A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying computer instructions causing one or more processors to:

• cause a 3D first view of the medical image data using medical image data obtained through a first modality depicting an anatomical region to be displayed;
• in response to an input from a user input device, indicate a location on the displayed 3D first view from a viewing plane and generating a triggering event;
• in response to the triggering event, propagate a probing ray in a direction perpendicular to the viewing plane into the visualized medical image data, indicating at least one probing location along the probing ray, each of the probing locations corresponding to a data element having an intensity obtained from the member image data;
• in response to the triggering event, segment an anatomical structure in the anatomical region which is disposed at the indication probing location;
• identify the segmented anatomical structure based on a shape of the segmented anatomical structure;
• select a part of the medical image data and a type of view based on the identified anatomical structure;
• convert the intensities of data elements into opacity values through a direct volume rendering transfer function and comparing the opacity values with an opacity threshold;
• based on the comparison with the opacity threshold, identify data element membership indices to determine the member image data and the anatomical structure of the data element;
• and
• cause a second view of the selected part of medical image data obtained through a second modality in the selected type of view to be displayed, thereby visualizing the second modality medical image data.

A system for visualizing medical image data, the system comprising:

• a first display configured to display medical images in a viewing plane of an anatomical region of a patient;
• a user input device configured to indicate a location in the medical images of the anatomical region displayed on the first display;
• a second display configured to display images of a selected anatomical structure in the anatomical region;
• and
• one or more processors configured to:
• receive a signal from the user input device identifying a selected anatomical structure with a probing ray starting from the indicated location on the displayed 3D first view and propagating in a direction perpendicular to the viewing plane into the visualized medical image data, indicating a plurality of probing locations along the probing ray which corresponds to data elements having intensities obtained from the member image data,
• segment the selected anatomical structure,
• from the segmented anatomical structure, generate an identification of the anatomical structure, the intensities of data elements are converted into opacity values through a direct volume rendering transfer function and compared to an opacity threshold, if the opacity threshold is exceeded, a data element membership index is identified to determine the anatomical structure of the data element,
• select image views of segmented anatomical structure based on the identified data element membership index and the indicated location;
• and
• control the second display to display the selected image views.