PERSPECTIVE VOLUME RENDERING OF CT AND MR-IMAGES - APPLICATIONS FOR ENDOSCOPIC IMAGING

PURPOSE: To use perspective volume rendering (PVR) of computed tomogra phic (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging data sets to simulate en doscopic views of human organ systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Perspect ive views of helical CT and MR images were reconstructed from the data , and tissues were classified by assigning color and opacity based on their CT attenuation or MR signal intensity. ''Flight paths'' were con structed through anatomic regions by defining key views along a spline path. Twelve movies of the thoracic aorta (n = 3), tracheobronchial t ree (n = 4), colon (n = 3), paranasal sinuses (n = 1), and shoulder jo int (n 1) were generated to display images along the flight path. All abnormal results were confirmed at surgery. RESULTS: PVR fly-through e nabled evaluation of the full range of tissue densities, signal intens ities, and their three-dimensional spatial relationships. CONCLUSION: PVR is a novel way to present volumetric data and may enable noninvasi ve diagnostic endoscopy and provide an alternate method to analyze vol umetric imaging data for primary diagnosis.