Interactive visualization of 3D medical data

Techniques for noninvasively imaging the interior of the human body have undergone a revolution in the last decade. New data acquisition modalities include computed tomography (CT), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. All of these modalities have the potential for producing three-dimensional arrays of intensity values. Unfortunately for the clinician, no fully satisfactory method for viewing this data yet exists. The currently dominant method consists of printing slices of the data onto transparent films for viewing on a backlit screen. This approach makes detection of small or faint structures difficult. It also hampers comprehension of complex three-dimensional structures such as branching arterial systems