INVESTIGATION OF MEDICAL 3D-RENDERING ALGORITHMS

Several algorithms help to visualize medical gray-level volumes. For clinical applications it is vital that the generated images represent reality. We have investigated the quality of surface-shading algorithms using computer-simulated test objects and we are presenting the results here. For the group of surface-shading algorithms, we tested z-buffer gradient, gray-level gradient, adaptive gray-level gradient, and marching cubes with two extensions. We will discuss transparent visualization using transparent gray-level gradient shading as an example. We found that gray-level gradient shading and marching cubes did not differ greatly, except for thin objects, where adaptive gray-level gradient shading was better. At present there is no way to assure the fidelity of transparent shading. Nevertheless it is useful when no other surface at all can be determined. Use of a combination of shading methods appears to yield the best visualization of the respective objects. © 1990 IEEE