Method for enhanced display of image slices from 3-d volume image

Abstract

A method for rendering volume radiographic image content of a subject forms a volume image. The method extracts a first image slice from the volume image, then modifies the extracted first image slice by defining two or more spatial frequency bands from the image slice data and applying one or more viewer adjustments to the image slice data, wherein the one or more viewer adjustments condition the image data to enhance image content in at least one of the defined spatial frequency bands. A set of display rendering parameters is generated according to the two or more frequency bands and according to viewer adjustments made for the first image slice. A second image slice is extracted from the volume image. The generated set of display rendering parameters is applied to the second image slice to render an adjusted image slice and the adjusted image slice is displayed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for rendering volume radiographic image content of a subject, the method executed at least in part on a computer and comprising:
 acquiring a plurality of 2-D projection images by scanning the subject over a range of different exposure angles;   processing the 2-D projection images to form a reconstructed volume, the reconstructed volumes having Hounsfield values;   extracting a 2-D image slice from the reconstructed volume and identifying at least first and second image features within the extracted 2-D image slice;   generating a first set of enhanced parameters for the first identified image feature in the 2-D image slice;   generating a second set of enhanced parameters for the second identified image feature in the 2-D image slice;   combining the first and second set of enhanced parameters;   using the combined enhanced parameters, rendering an enhanced 2-D image slice;   preserving the Hounsfield values of the enhanced 2-D image slice by corresponding the Hounsfield values of the extracted 2-D image slice with the enhanced 2-D image;   displaying, storing, or transmitting the enhanced 2-D image slice in display space; and   in response to a user request, displaying at least one of the preserved, corresponding Hounsfield values.