Method and apparatus for obtaining three dimensional tomographic images by interpolation of a plurality of projection slice data bind for obtaining projection data for a chosen slice

Claim 2

A scan planning method for obtaining a tomographic image in a computed tomographic system, comprising: a first process for acquiring, along different directions, projection data of a plurality of parallel slices of an object to be examined and for reconstructing a tomographic image of each of said plurality of parallel slices; a second process including interpolating the plurality of tomographic images obtained by the first process and for obtaining three-dimensional image data of a region defined between two outermost slices of said plurality of parallel slices; a third process for forming and displaying a three-dimensional object image in accordance with said three-dimensional image data obtained by the second process and for changing the viewpoint of said three-dimensional object image in accordance with externally entered first coordinate information; a fourth process for superposing a slice position image on said three-dimensional object image displayed in the third process, said slice position image representing a slice position, and for changing the position and orientation of said slice on a screen in accordance with externally entered second coordinate information; and a fifth process for acquiring, along different directions, projection data of said slices corresponding to relative position information between said three-dimensional object image and said slice position image which are obtained in the third and fourth processes, and for reconstructing tomographic images of said respective slices.

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, wherein said projection data is acquired to reconstruct said tomographic images by using common means in the first and fifth processes.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1, wherein the second process comprises a process utilizing linear interpolation.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1, wherein the second process includes a process for displaying an auxiliary line indicating the three-dimensional object image and the orientation thereof.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1, wherein the fourth process includes a process for displaying said slice position image and a slice image defined by said slice position image by using said three-dimensional image data.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 1, wherein said position data obtained by the third and fourth processes are stored in memory means.

Claim 8

A scan planning apparatus for obtaining a tomographic image in a computed tomographic system, comprising: a computed tomographic scanning system for acquiring, along different directions, projection data of predetermined slices of an object to be examined and for reconstructing tomographic images of said predetermined slices in accordance with said projection data; first operating means for controlling said computed tomographic scanning system to cause said scanning system to acquire said projection data of said predetermined slices of said object along said different directions and to reconstruct tomographic images of said plurality of predetermined slices; three-dimensional image forming means for interpolating said plurality of tomographic images by said first operating means, said plurality of tomographic images being obtained by said computed tomographic scanning system, and for forming three-dimensional image data of a region defined between two outermost slices of said plurality of predetermined slices; image forming means for forming and displaying a three-dimensional object image in accordance with said three-dimensional image data obtained by said three-dimensional image forming means; coordinate information input means for externally entering coordinate information; viewpoint adjusting means, operated in association with said image forming means, for changing the viewpoint direction of said three-dimensional object image on a display screen in accordance with the coordinate information entered by said coordinate information input means; slice setting means, operated in association with said viewpoint adjusting means, for forming and displaying a three-dimensional slice position image of a slice, the position and angle of which are variably adjusted in accordance with coordinate information, the three-dimensional slice position image being superposed on the image displayed by said image forming means in accordance with said coordinate information entered by said coordinate information input means, and for obtaining slice position information corresponding to the position and angle of said object image; and second operating means for controlling said scanning system to cause said scanning system to acquire projection data of the slice corresponding to said displayed slice position image in accordance with the slice position information set by said slice setting means, and for scanning the slice.

Claim 9

A scan planning apparatus for obtaining a tomographic image in a computed tomographic system, comprising: a computed tomographic scanning system for acquiring, along different directions, projection data of predetermined slices of an object to be examined and for reconstructing tomographic images of said predetermined slices in accordance with said projection data; first operating means for controlling said computed tomographic scanning system to cause said scanning system to acquire said projection data of said predetermined slices of said object along said different directions and to reconstruct tomographic images of said plurality of predetermined slices; three-dimensional image forming means for interpolating said plurality of tomographic images by said first operating means, said plurality of tomographic images being obtained by said computed tomographic scanning system, and for forming three-dimensional image data of a region defined between two outermost slices of said plurality of predetermined slices; image forming means for forming and displaying a three-dimensional object image in accordance with said three-dimensional image data obtained by said three-dimensional image forming means; coordinate information input means for externally entering coordinate information; viewpoint adjusting means, operated in association with said image forming means, for changing the viewpoint direction of said three-dimensional object image on a display screen in accordance with the coordinate information entered by said coordinate information input means; slice setting means, operated in association with said viewpoint adjusting means, for forming and displaying a three-dimensional slice position image of a slice, the position and angle of which are variably adjusted in accordance with coordinate information, the three-dimensional slice position image being superposed on the image displayed by said image forming means in accordance with said coordinate information entered by said coordinate information input means, and for obtaining slice position information corresponding to the position and angle of said object image; and second operating means for controlling said scanning system to cause said scanning system to acquire projection data of the slice corresponding to said displayed slice position image in accordance with the slice position information set by said slice setting means, and for scanning the slice.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said coordinate information input means has operation directivity such that an operating direction corresponds to a moving direction of the image moved by at least one of said viewpoint adjusting means and said slice setting means.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said coordinate information input means comprises means including a track ball.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said coordinate information input means comprises means including a three-dimensional joystick.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising means for storing the slice position information which is obtained by said slice setting means and which corresponds to the plurality of slices, and for continuously supplying the slice position information to said second operating means.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said computed tomographic scanning system comprises a magnetic resonance imaging system.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said computed tomographic scanning system comprises an X-ray computed tomographic system.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said computed tomographic scanning system comprises an emission computed tomographic system.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said computed tomographic scanning system comprises an ultrasonic computed tomographic system.