Published: 2007-12-20
ISBN: 978-91-7393-990-4
ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)
Medical visualization has been a long way down the road from the first - by todays standard - crude images to the current sophisticated rendering results. However; for a successful application of visualization; we need to look at the whole visual computing pipeline; which includes image processing; visualization; interaction; and in addition into perceptual issues of visual computing.
In my talk; I will discuss certain aspects of this pipeline. Starting from early image filtering after image acquisition (which by itself is also part of the medical imaging/image processing stage); segmentation is need to identify specific organs; in particular if they cannot be identified by standard classification approaches. After the preparation of the potentially multi-value and multi-field (modal) structured datasets; they are visualized using the whole variety of direct and indirect volume rendering approaches. Here; I will demonstrate that both approaches have advantages and disadvantages; and hence their place in medical visualization. Finally; we need to interact with the resulting renderings either pre-(post-)operatively for planning purposes; or in an intra-opera¬tive environment during an intervention. At all these stages; the intermediate and final results are interpreted mostly through the visual system of humans. Hence; we also need to consider how perception is not only influencing the interpretation; but also how we can improve it.
