US 11,688,126 B2
Image rendering apparatus and method
Magnus Wahrenberg, Edinburgh (GB)
Assigned to CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Otawara (JP)
Filed by CANON MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION, Otawara (JP)
Filed on Feb. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/171,059.
Prior Publication US 2022/0254094 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. G06T 15/08 (2011.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G06T 15/10 (2011.01)
CPC G06T 15/08 (2013.01) [G06T 7/0012 (2013.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01); G06T 15/10 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30241 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A medical image processing apparatus, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to
acquire volumetric image data for rendering, wherein the volumetric image data represents a volume;
receive or determine a desired direction of movement of a viewpoint or light;
determine a plurality of viewpoint positions or light positions along the desired direction of movement based on distance between (1) the viewpoint or the light, respectively, and (2) a surface in the image data to provide a specified distance between (1) the viewpoint or the light, and (2) a nearest point on the surface to the viewpoint or the light, wherein the nearest point changes as the viewpoint or light moves in the desired direction, wherein the specified distance is a constant distance or other desired distance, and wherein the plurality of viewpoint positions or light positions are determined using a distance field, a mesh, a look-up table, or a database that represents distance to the surface for positions in the volume, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the plurality of viewpoint positions or light positions based on constant gradient lines of a signed distance field (SDF); and
render the volumetric image data based on the plurality of viewpoint positions or the light positions.