A Study on 3D Medical Image Reconstruction and VRML-based Presentation

Student: F-M Liu (劉豐明) Advisor: D-L Yang (楊東麟)

Institute of Information Engineering, Feng Chia University

Abstract

In this research we construct a three-dimensional medical image system on the WWW environment to assist doctors in making diagnosis through the internet. We also solve the common problem of hardware platform dependence for most medical image systems by using the web browser technologies. In our prototype system, we choose the computed tomography (CT) image data of the hip joint because of its complex structure. In the future, we hope to apply our system to other parts of the body as well as different kinds of image data.

 

In the system we get the data after processing a serial of CT images. Using VRML to represent the reconstructed 3D object from these data allows us to make the surface rendering upon the browser in the internet. The whole process is divided into five major parts: extracting bone data, edge detection, relation grouping, control point selection, and 3D object generation.

 

First we use a mask to remove the unwanted portion of the source image. Then a threshold value of the image gray level is applied extract the bone data. To detect all the edge data, we employ the Sobel Operator Mask. In order to put related objects together in the right place, we must make correct grouping and describe their relationship between groups. Tables are used to collect the information as well as the control points selected from the points with equal distance along the edges. Finally, 3D object image a can be reconstructed with the surface rendering algorithm. VRML language and JAVA script used to control the viewing of target in a browser.

 

In the future development we would like to enhance our system to provide telemedicine and group-diagnosis medical services. Through the internet doctors can discuss with each other and make diagnosis in remote areas to the medical cost and provide better services.