Dividing cubes system and method for the display of surface structures contained within the interior region of a solid body
US4719585A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 28, 1985 |
| Grant date | Jan 12, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 28, 2005 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T17/00
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system for displaying three dimensional surface structures employs the analysis of voxel elements defined by eight cubically adjacent grid locations which are associated with at least one physical property defined throughout a three dimensional body. The physical property measurements may be made with such systems as computerized tomographic x-ray systems, or magnetic resonance imaging devices. Surface structures are defined by a user selected threshhold value such as distinct values for skin and bone in medical diagnostic applications. Selected voxels are subdivided and means are provided for generating signal values associated with intermediate additional grid locations. Means are also provided for generating surface normal vectors associated with these grid locations. The system of the present invention produces a sequence of signals representative of grid locations throughout the object being investigated together with associated surface normal vectors at these locations, the locations lying on a user selected surface. The system provides smooth, high resolution images which particularly useful for medical diagnostic applications and is particularly useful with conventional d…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.