The potential of cylindrical co-ordinate three-dimensional surface models

In the creation of three-dimensional surface models from stacks of contiguous computed tomography or nuclear magnetic resonance cross-sectional scans, the views generated are usually orthogonal projections. The problem of displaying 3D surfaces on a two-dimensional plane can be overcome by the use of cylindrical coordinates. In this the locations of structures on a surface are found in r, θ, z, cylindrical coordinates where r is the radius from an axis through the body, θ is the angular location around the axis and z is the distance along the axis. Two examples of such images are presented in this brief note. (U.K.)