Internal Labels as Shape Cues for Medical Illustration

In this paper we describe an interactive labeling algorithm, which allows to integrate internal 3D labels into medical visualizations generated from volumetric data sets. The proposed algorithm is motivated by internal labeling techniques found in anatomical atlases, and in contrast to existing algorithms it provides additional shape cues by fitting internal labels to the depth structure of their associated objects. In this paper we discuss guidelines for the layout of internal 3D labels and describe our labeling algorithm, which extends 2D shape fitting and introduces 3D shape fitting. Furthermore we propose related interaction concepts and provide application examples.