Leadtools.Medical3D Introduction

Summary

The Leadtools.Medical3D assembly provides functionality for rendering and viewing a series of two-dimensional medical images in a three-dimensional space. The LEADTOOLS Medical 3D SDK simplifies the reconstruction techniques for the creation of 3D visual representations.

A three-dimensional view is easier to analyze than the component two-dimensional images. Users can render the object in multiple ways and can select from a wide range of tools that make it easier to view, handle, and manipulate 3D objects. 3D reconstruction allows the visualization of anatomical details which are difficult to evaluate using 2D axial slices alone.

Key Features

• An object can be rendered using 5 different types of volume rendering techniques:
  • Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP) allows physicians quick and reliable identification of the pulmonary nodules.
  • Minimum Intensity Projection (MinIP) enhances air spaces, which allows doctors to assess lung structure.
  • Volume Reconstruction Technique (VRT), with support for clipping planes, can be used to remove obstructive anatomy from 3D view. VRT transparency allows bones to be displayed as semi-transparent or transparent for viewing concealed anatomy.
  • Multi-planar Reconstruction (MPR) examines images of a spine to view intervertebral discs that are difficult to see in axial images. A 3D view makes it easier to see the position of one vertebra in relation to others.
  • Shaded Surface Display (SSD) displays surface models of 3D objects specified by ISO thresholds.
• Full integration with the LEADTOOLS Medical Viewer.
• Drawing up to three different oblique planes when rendering using the MPR technique.
• Compatibility checker utility that examines the available video card and compares it to the minimum requirements.
• A 3D control that handles complicated tasks.
• Drawing tags and rulers in the 3D control.
•  Actions that can be used to manipulate the 3D object:
  • Window level
  • Pan
  • Rotate
  • Rotate plane
  • Move plane
  • Move camera
  • Rotate camera
  • Scale
  • Zoom-Camera
• Up to six clipping planes, orthogonal or oblique, can be used, which allows for clipping parts of the 3D volume.
• Memory-efficient loading and saving utilizing a video card.
• A Slab feature that allows rendering of a portion of a 3D object. This feature is integrated into the Medical Viewer control.
• Manipulation of the 3D object allows for changing the scale of an image in one or all directions, translating, rotating, moving, the object, the plane, or the clipping planes using a variety of techniques.
• Inversion of the volumes of colors.
• Loading of any of the 150+ file formats image formats supported by LEADTOOLS.
• Visual customization of 3D projects includes adjusting the color of boundaries, the boundary box, the intersection line, and the background color.
• A crosshair feature for different plane views.
• 3D object editing includes thresholding or other image processing by accessing the RasterImage class used to render the 3D object.
• Multiple camera views.
• Dynamic rotation, including the Z axes.
• Orientation cube located dynamically.
• Save and load object mesh, object status, and object data.
• A MedicalViewer feature that allows automatic sorting of images and distinguishing between different series and localizers.
• Adjustable volume projection method.
• Near and far clipping plane support.
• Support for both single and double oblique cut planes that can be performed on a stack in the medical viewer cell to generate the MIP slab.

LEADTOOLS Medical 3D Features

LEADTOOLS Medical 3D SDK offers programmers the ability to create 3D applications quickly and without having to rely on an advanced knowledge of the 3D field. Developers can add 3D support to their applications with minimal lines of source code. As a result, the class library can be used effectively by both beginner and advanced developers.

The LEADTOOLS Medical 3D SDK simplifies the reconstruction techniques used to create 3D visual representations. The class library offers various mathematical algorithms to generate volumetric (3D) data using a stack of image slices. Support is provided for generating many alternate views of the original data using the various 3D reconstruction techniques (e.g., MPR, VRT, MIP, etc.).

LEADTOOLS support of reconstruction in orthogonal planes allows developers to choose the optimal plane to display anatomical structure. Examining volumetric data saves time by improving the speed of interpretation and recognition.

For large input objects, the 3D toolkit determines a quality-speed trade-off. LEADTOOLS lowers the quality of the 3D object during rotation, then reverts to higher quality rendering after rotation.

The toolkit ships with a Medical Web Viewer solution. This is a complete application with source code for you to customize.

Some examples of common applications that use the LEADTOOLS Medical 3D SDK:

• High-end medical diagnostic workstations.
• Light-weight viewers that are distributed on a CD with patient images.
• Medical applications integrating the 3D control to a medical viewer.
• 3D web applications.
• 3D image processing applications.
• 3D editing tools, such as window level, threshold, color inversion, slab, scale, etc.
• Generic 3D applications.

Supported Environments

See Also

Reference

Assembly Overview

Getting Started (Guide to Example Programs)

Programming with LEADTOOLS 3D

Introduction - All Topics

Version History

Leadtools.Medical3D Assembly Changes