A 3-D display method of fuzzy shapes obtained from medical images

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3-D) display of medical images allows better perception of the continuity of structures and spatial relationships than a display of individual slices. These 3-D display methods consist of a contour extraction, a shape reconstruction and a shading. However, the boundary judgment of soft tissues, like a tumor, is difficult even for expert doctors. Especially, 3-D display depends largely on a result of the contour extraction. The 3-D display method is required to display the presentation of the continuity of organ shapes. This paper presents the development of a display method to preserve the continuity of organ shapes. The display method consists of the extraction of fuzzy shapes and their shading. The extraction of fuzzy shapes is executed by operation of the fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm on medical images and the use of a connectivity of an organ shape. The shading of fuzzy shapes uses a volume rendering, which is analyzed numerically and improved to realize a powerfully interactive 3-D display. The effectiveness of the proposed 3-D display method is shown using head MRI images.